Reading The Golden Lily
by TheHappyLol
Summary: The VA and Bloodlines characters gets a letter wich leds them all sitting in a room with a book, the note tells them they have to read the book and the book is The Golden Lily and it has been sent to court by Richelle Mead, who Rose thinks is a stalker when they see Jill and Sydneys face on the cover of the book. Yes its the VA/bloodlines gang reading The Golden Lily.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

**Everything in bloodlines,the golden lily and the indigo spell have happened.**

**I wrote this cause i have been searching for people who have wrote a ´reading the golden lily´ but never found someone who have. I have only found people doing ´Reading bloodlines´ so I decided to make the va/bloodlines gang read ´The Golden Lily´**

**I do not own The Golden Lily or the VA/bloodlines characters. Richelle Mead is the wonderful authour of bloodlines series/vampire academy.**

**Sydneys Pov**

We all had gotten a letter. A mysterious letter that told us to go to the court. The letter wasnt long it self. It only told us to go to court were a surprise for all of us were waiting. Adrian was curious about this, he even had took the letter from my hands when I were reading it for Jill,Eddie,Dimitri and Sonya, of course Adrian to.

We of course went to court and went to one special room the letter had told us to go to. When we entered the room like everyone was there. Lissa, as Rose wanted me to call her were here with her boyfriend Christian beside her. Rose was here and she hurried to Dimitri and gave him a hug when she saw him. Abe, or old man as Rose called him was also here with Janine Hathaway sitting beside him. The whole gang were here. Me. Adrian. Jill. Eddie. Dimitri. Rose. Lissa. Christian. Abe. Janine. Sonya.

We all sat down on the big comfy sofa, in the middle of the book were a package and no one had opened it but Rose eyed it evily wich made me smirk a little bit in secret.

"So what are we here for?" Adrian asked, looked at everyone in the room.

"I dont know. The thing in the package is what we are here for. We got a letter wich told us to go here wich we did" Lissa said.

"I hope its nothing boring" I could hear Rose murmur, I sighed and raised up from the sofa, walked to the package and lift it up in my arms, sat down in the sofa again and started to open it. The package were really annoying to open cause someone had covered it in sticky tape but I luckily got rid of the sticky tape and slowly peeked inside.

"What is it? What is it?" asked Adrian with a curious voice. I rolled my eyes and smilled a little to myself but my smiled dropt when I saw what was inside.

"Its a book.." I said, taking the book out from the package and holding it up so everyone in the room could se.

"A book with my and Jills face on" I continued.

Rose face palmed, and so did a few another in the room. Jill blushed when she saw her face on the cover on the book and so did I but I was not showing it so easily.

"What the hell is this? A book with your and Jills face on it? Stalker much?" Rose said with her normal Rose voice. I saw Dimitri getting ahold of her hands, trying to calm her wich worked, atleast a little bit and for now.

"Yes and the name of the book is ´The Golden Lily´" I said and frowned, touched the golden lily on my check.

"Just like your tattoo but with a ´The´ before it." Adrian said, now he were eyeing the book evily but curious filled his eyes.

"There a letter to. The letter says.

_´Dear everyone who now is sitting in the room I told you about in the first letter you got. I expect that everyone is in the room now but I would understand if Rose isnt there, if she hasnt already thrown the book out of the window or ran away from reading this book._

_You may be confused when you see the book but you have to read this and yes Rose, you have to read every chapter. Every single one. There is a book after this book but you have to read this book first._

_Mvh Richelle Mead´" _

_"_Who the hell is Richelle Mead?" Rose asked angrily, angry for this Richelle to mention her name in the letter and for maybe blown her plan to get away from this.

"The person who wrote this and propablly the stalker who took this picture of me and Jill" I said obvious.

"Give me it" Rose said. I looked at her with a suspisious look and Rose did the _Give me it_ look.

"You sure? You're not going to _throw the book through the window?" _I said with a little smile on my lips.

"No Im going to read the prologue" she said, still making the _give me it _look.

"Ok then.." I said and gave her the book and she opened it, to our surprise, the most of us had thought that she would get rid of it.

"Prologue." she started.

**"Sydney Sage is an alcehemist"**

"Hey! no! please tell me its not from my point of view"

Rose just gave me a evil grin. Shit.

**"One of a group of humans who dabble in magic"**

"but our Sydney here doesnt like magic" Rose said.

"Just read the prologue."

**"and serve to bridge the world of humans and vampire. Alchemists protect of vampire secrets and human lives"**

"Of course. We hide the truth about vampires from the humans"

"Expect you dont hide it from yourself. You're human to" Eddie said.

**"Sydney would love to go to college but instead"**

"Fuck" I muttered, it was from my point of view.

"I didnt know you swore Sage" Adrian said, smiling at me and I blushed a little, letting Rose continue read the prologue.

**"She's been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in palm springs, californa. Tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the moroi court into civil war."**

"If there going to be a war I will kick all their butts" Rose said.

"Of course you do" Dimitri said, gave her a kiss on the check and I looked away.

**"Formely in disgrace. Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience and held up as the model of an exemplary alcehemist."**

Rose frowned, looked at me and then on the book.

"You helped me. A dhampir but still you're a even exemplary Alcehemist and still they punish you"

I just shrugged, looked down on my feets.

**"But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie and especially Adrian..."**

"What does the book mean with that Sydney?" Rose said with a evil smirk. Shit.

"Nothing." I said, blushing.

"Nawww. Sydney is blushing" Rose said with a teasing voice.

"Suddenly I like this book better" she said and continued to read.

**"The more she finds herself questioning her ageold alchemist beliefs, her idea of family and the sense of what it means to truly belong."**

"why questioning?" Rose wondered.

"I first thought you were just evil vampires but the more time I spent with you guys I changed my mind kind of about that" I said.

"Just read."

**"Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming strigoi, the fiercest vampires, the one who dont die."**

"I thought you said you didnt like magic" Abe said, looking at me.

"God. Just read it and let the book explain" I muttered, crossing my arms.

**"But its her fear of being just that-special, magical, powerful-that scared her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden.."**

"You? Sydney Sage? Alchemist dating someone.?"I sighed and nodded.

"We are not dating anymore" I said. "We were just dating and nothing more"

"Yeah sure" ;)

**"A cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney fins herself being drawn to someone else, someone forbidden to her."**

"And who could that be Sydney? Hmmm.." she wondered. Fuck, she were on our tracks.

**"When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart. Sydneys loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught and what her instinct are not telling her. Should she trust the alcehemist or her heart?"**

"That was the prologue. Who wants to read the first chapter?" Rose asked.

"Me. Its my life." I said and took the book from Rose.

**"Chapter 1" ...**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**Sydneys POV**

**"Chapter 1"** I said and began reading.

**Most people would find being led into an underground bunker on a stormy night scary. Not me.**

**"**But it is scary. An underground bunker on a stormy night id really scary!" Jill said, looking at me and I just shrugged.

"Aww is jailbait scared?" Adrian asked Jill with a teasing voice.

"Im not!" she said and I just sighed, continued reading, its actually not scary going into an underground bunker on a stormy night, atleast not for me.

**Things I could explain away and define with data didn't frighten me. That was why I kept silently reciting facts to myself as I descended deeper and deeper below street level. The bunker was a relic of the Cold War, built as protection in a time when people thought nuclear missiles were around every corner.**

"But now strigois is around every corner." Rose said and I looked at her, she had a bowl of popcorn in her lap wich made me.. confused?

"Were did you get that popcorn?" I asked.

"Somewhere." she said with a evil grin.

**On the surface, the building claimed to house an optical supply store. That was a front. Not scary at all. And the storm? Simply a natural phenomenon of atmospheric fronts clashing. And really, if you were going to worry about getting hurt in a storm, then going underground was actually pretty smart.**

"We already know what is storm is, dont need a explanation." Christian said, who had snatched some popcorn from Rose and were now chewing on the popcorn he had snatched from here. What is it with these guys and popcorn?

**So, no. This seemingly ominous journey didn't frighten me in the least. Everything was built on reasonable facts and logic. I could deal with that. It was the rest of my job I had a problem with.**

**And really, maybe that was why stormy underground trips didn't faze me. When you spent most of your days living among vampires and half vampires, ferrying them to get blood, and keeping their existence secret from the rest of the world… well, it kind of gave you a unique perspective on life. I'd witnessed bloody vampire battles and seen magical feats that defied every law of physics I knew. My life was a constant struggle to hold back my terror of the unexplainable and try desperately to find a way to explain it.**

"You dont have to be scared by our magic. Its just who we are" Adrian said.

"Im not scared. Atleast not as much as I were when I didnt know you at all." I answered.

**"Watch your step," my guide told me as we went down yet another flight of concrete stairs.**

**Everything I'd seen so far was concrete—the walls, floor, and ceiling. The gray, rough surface absorbed the fluorescent light that attempted to illuminate our way. It was dreary and cold, eerie in its stillness. The guide seemed to guess my thoughts. "We've made modifications and expansions since this was originally built. You'll see once we reach the main section." Sure enough. The stairs finally opened up to a corridor with several closed doors lining the sides. The decor was still concrete, but all the doors were modern, with electronic locks displaying either red or green lights. He led me to the second door on the right, one with a green light, and I found myself entering a perfectly normal lounge, like the kind of break room you'd find in any modern office. Green carpet covered the floor, like some wistful attempt at grass, and the walls were a tan that gave the illusion of warmth. A puffy couch and two chairs sat on the opposite side of the room, along with a table scattered with magazines. Best of all, the room had a counter with a sink—and a coffee maker.**

"Really? Coffee?" Rose said with a sigh.

"What? I love coffee" I said.

"You could say love love love coffee" Rose commentated.

"**Make yourself at home," my guide told me. I was guessing he was close to my age, eighteen, but his patchy attempts at growing a beard made him seem younger. "They'll come for you shortly."**

**My eyes had never left the coffee maker. "Can I make some coffee?"**

Everyone looked at me and I blushed.

"Rose right. I love love love coffee" I muttered, continued reading.

"**Sure," he said. "Whatever you like."**

**He left, and I practically ran to the counter. The coffee was pre-ground and looked as though it might very well have been here since the Cold War as well. As long as it was caffeinated, I didn't care.**

Everyone still looked like me as if I were crazy wich Im not.

"Really? You ran to the counter? I think we should take you to the coffee doctor with your coffee obsession" Rose said and both Christian and Eddie forced down a laugh.

**I'd taken a red-eye flight from California, and even with part of the day to recover, I still felt sleepy and bleary-eyed. I set the coffee maker going and then paced the room. The magazines were in haphazard piles, so I straightened them into neat stacks. I couldn't stand disorder.**

**I sat on the couch and waited for the coffee, wondering yet again what this meeting could be about. I'd spent a good part of my afternoon here in Virginia reporting to a couple of Alchemist officials about the status of my current assignment. I was living in Palm Springs, pretending to be a senior at a private boarding school in order to keep an eye on Jill Mastrano Dragomir, a vampire princess forced into hiding.**

"Thats me!" Jill said happily as if she were ten years old. I just rolled my eyes.

**Keeping her alive meant keeping her people out of civil war—something that would definitely tip humans off to the supernatural world that lurked beneath the surface of modern life. It was a vital mission for the Alchemists, so I wasn't entirely surprised they'd want an update. What surprised me was that they couldn't have just done it over the phone. I couldn't figure out what other reason would bring me to this facility.**

**The coffee maker finished. I'd only set it to make three cups, which would probably be enough to get me through the evening. I'd just filled my Styrofoam cup when the door opened.**

"Coffee! Coffee everywhere!" Adrian shouted, raising both hands in the air wich made almost everyone in the room laugh.

"I would love to have coffee everywhere" I said.

"Who opened the door?"

**A man entered, and I nearly dropped the coffee.**

"D:"

"**Mr. Darnell," I said, setting the pot back on the burner. My hands trembled. "It—it's nice to see you again, sir."**

"**You too, Sydney," he said, forcing a stiff smile. "You've certainly grown up."**

"**Thank you, sir," I said, unsure if that was a compliment.**

**Tom Darnell was my father's age and had brown hair laced with silver. There were more lines in his face since the last time I'd seen him, and his blue eyes had an uneasy look that I didn't usually associate with him. Tom Darnell was a high-ranking official among the Alchemists and had earned his position through decisive action and a fierce work ethic. He'd always seemed larger than life when I was younger, fiercely confident and aweinspiring. Now, he seemed to be afraid of me, which made no sense. Wasn't he angry? After all, I was the one responsible for his son being arrested and locked away by the Alchemists.**

"You sounded a little bit like Rose at the end there." Adrian said.

"Hey!" both I and Rose said at the same time.

"**I appreciate you coming all the way out here," he added, once a few moments of awkward silence had passed. "I know it's a long round-trip, especially on a weekend."**

"**It's no problem at all, sir," I said, hoping I sounded confident. "I'm happy to help with…**

**whatever you need." I still wondered what exactly that could be.**

**He studied me for a few seconds and gave a curt nod. "You're very dedicated," he said.**

"**Just like your father."**

"Im not like my father" I muthered.

**I made no response. I knew that comment had been intended as a compliment, but I didn't really take it that way.**

**Tom cleared his throat. "Well, then. Let's get this out of the way. I really don't want to inconvenience you any more than is necessary."**

**Again, I got that nervous, deferential vibe. Why would he be so conscientious of my feelings?**

**After what I'd done to his son, Keith, I would've expected rage or accusations. Tom opened the door for me and gestured me through.**

"**Can I bring my coffee, sir?"**

"**Of course."**

**He took me back into the concrete corridor, toward more of the closed doors. I clutched my coffee like a security blanket, far more frightened than I'd been when first entering this place.**

Everyone rolled their eyes, I just shrugged and continued reading.

**Tom came to a stop a few doors down, in front of one with a red light, but hesitated before opening it.**

"**I want you to know… that what you did was incredibly brave," he said, not meeting my eyes. "I know you and Keith were—are—friends, and it couldn't have been easy to turn him in. It shows just how committed you are to our work—something that's not always easy when personal feelings are involved."**

**Keith and I weren't friends now or then, but I supposed I could understand Tom's mistake.**

**Keith had lived with my family for a summer, and later, he and I had worked together in Palm Springs. Turning him in for his crimes hadn't been difficult for me at all. I'd actually enjoyed it.**

"I did enjoy it" I admit.

**Seeing the stricken look on Tom's face, though, I knew I couldn't say anything like that.**

**I swallowed. "Well. Our work is important, sir."**

**He gave me a sad smile. "Yes. It certainly is."**

"And it still is"

**The door had a security keypad. Tom punched in a series of about ten digits, and the lock clicked in acceptance. He pushed the door open, and I followed him inside. The stark room was dimly lit and had three other people in it, so I didn't initially notice what else the room contained.**

**I knew immediately that the others were Alchemists. There was no other reason they'd be in this place otherwise. And, of course, they possessed the telltale signs that would have identified them to me even on a busy street. Business attire in nondescript colors. Golden lily tattoos shining on their left cheeks. It was part of the uniformity we all shared. We were a secret army, lurking in the shadows of our fellow humans.**

**The three of them were all holding clipboards and staring at one of the walls. That was when I noticed what this room's purpose was. A window in the wall looked through to another room, one much more brightly lit than this one.**

**And Keith Darnell was in that room.**

Someone, propablly Christian made some dramatic sound.

**He darted up to the glass separating us and began beating on it. My heart raced, and I took a few frightened steps back, certain he was coming after me. It took me a moment to realize he couldn't actually see me. I relaxed slightly. Very slightly. The window was a oneway mirror. He pressed his hands to the glass, glancing frantically back and forth at the faces he knew were there but couldn't see.**

"**Please, please," he cried. "Let me out. Please let me out of here." Keith looked a little scragglier than the last time I'd seen him. His hair was unkempt and appeared as though it hadn't been cut in our month apart. He wore a plain gray jumpsuit, the kind you saw on prisoners or mental patients, that reminded me of the concrete in the hall.**

**Most noticeable of all was the desperate, terrified look in his eyes—or rather, eye. Keith had lost one of his eyes in a vampire attack that I had secretly helped orchestrate.**

Everyone looked shocked at me and I of course looked back at them with a secretly smile.

"That sounds like something I would do but really? You Sydney orchestrate a strigoi attack? Awesome" Rose said and gave me a impressed smile.

"But he had two eyes when you first came to palm springs?" said Adrian but made it more like a question. I didnt answer.

**None of the Alchemists knew about it, just as none of them knew about how Keith had raped my older sister Carly.**

Everyone looked at me shocked, again.

"I dont want to talk about it!" I said, almost shouted it out. I really hated Keith for raping my sister Carly.

**I doubted Tom Darnell would've praised me for my "dedication" if he'd known about my sideline revenge act. Seeing the state Keith was in now, I felt a little bad for him—and especially bad for Tom, whose face was filled with raw pain. I still didn't feel bad about what I'd done to Keith, however. Not the arrest or the eye. Put simply, Keith Darnell was a bad person.**

"**I'm sure you recognize Keith," said one of the Alchemists with a clipboard. Her gray hair was wound into a tight, neat bun.**

"**Yes, ma'am," I said.**

**I was saved from any other response when Keith beat at the glass with renewed fury.**

"**Please! I'm serious! Whatever you want. I'll do anything. I'll say anything. I'll believe anything.**

**Just please don't send me back there!"**

**Both Tom and I flinched, but the other Alchemists watched with clinical detachment and scrawled a few notes on their clipboards. The bun woman glanced back up at me as though there'd been no interruption. "Young Mr. Darnell has been spending some time in one of our Re-education Centers. An unfortunate action—but a necessary one. His trafficking in illicit goods was certainly bad, but his collaboration with vampires is unforgiveable. Although he claims to have no attachment to them… well, we really can't be certain. Even if he is telling the truth, there's also the possibility that this transgression might expand into something more—not just a collaboration with the Moroi, but also the Strigoi. Doing what we've done keeps him from that slippery slope."**

"**It's really for his own good," said the third clipboard-wielding Alchemist. "We're doing him a favor."**

**A sense of horror swept over me. The whole point of the Alchemists was to keep the existence of vampires secret from humans. We believed vampires were unnatural creatures who should have nothing to do with humans like us. What was a particular concern were the Strigoi—evil, killer vampires—who could lure humans into servitude with promises of immortality.**

**Even the peaceful Moroi and their half human counterparts, the dhampirs, were regarded with suspicion. We worked with those latter two groups a lot, and even though we'd been taught to regard them with disdain, it was an inevitable fact that some Alchemists not only grew close to Moroi and dhampirs… but actually started to like them.**

"You like us Sydney? Right?" Jill asked and I could hear the worry in her voice.

"Of course I do. I like you all as a friend of mine but the alchemist will never know" I said.

**The crazy thing was—despite his crime of selling vampire blood**

"What?!" Rose shouted, almost jumping out of the sofa but Dimitri held her down.

"Yeah. Keith were selling vampire blood for money to a tattoo something. It was long ago" I said.

**Keith was one of the last people I'd think of when it came to getting too friendly with vampires. He'd made his dislike of them perfectly obvious to me a number of times. Really, if anyone deserved to be accused of attachment to vampires…**

… **well, it would be me.**

**One of the other Alchemists, a man with mirrored sunglasses hanging artfully off his collar, took up the lecture. "You, Miss Sage, have been a remarkable example of someone able to work extensively with them and keep your objectivity. Your dedication has not gone unnoticed by those above us."**

"**Thank you, sir," I said uneasily, wondering how many times I'd hear "dedication" brought up tonight. This was a far cry from a few months ago, when I'd gotten in trouble for helping a dhampir fugitive escape. She'd later been proven innocent, and my involvement had been written off as "career ambition."**

"Is that me you mean?" Rose asked and I nodded.

"Thank you for helping" she added.

"No problem" I said.

"**And," continued Sunglasses, "considering your experience with Mr. Darnell, we thought you would be an excellent person to give us a statement." I turned my attention back at Keith. He'd been pounding and shouting pretty much nonstop this whole time. The others had managed to ignore him, so I tried as well.**

"**A statement on what, sir?"**

"**We're considering whether or not to return him to Re-education," explained Gray Bun.**

"**He's made excellent progress there, but some feel it's best to be safe and make sure any chance of vampire attachment is eradicated."**

**If Keith's current behavior was "excellent progress," I couldn't imagine what poor progress looked like.**

**Sunglasses readied his pen over his clipboard. "Based on what you witnessed in Palm Springs, Miss Sage, what is your opinion of Mr. Darnell's state of mind when it comes to vampires?**

**Was the bonding you witnessed severe enough to warrant further precautionary measures?" Presumably, "further precautionary measures" meant more Re-education.**

**While Keith continued to bang away,**

"That souns a little bit wrong" Eddie said.

**all eyes in my room were on me. The clipboard Alchemists looked thoughtful and curious. Tom Darnell was visibly sweating, watching me with fear and anticipation. I supposed it was understandable. I held his son's fate in my hands.**

**Conflicting emotions warred within me as I regarded Keith. I didn't just dislike him—I hated him. And I didn't hate many people. I couldn't forget what he'd done to Carly. Likewise, the memories of what he'd done to others and me in Palm Springs were still fresh in my mind.**

**He'd slandered me and made my life miserable in an effort to cover up his blood scam. He'd also horribly treated the vampires and dhampirs we were in charge of looking after. It made me question who the real monsters were.**

"The real monsters is the striogois" Rose said.

**I didn't know exactly what happened at Re-education Centers. Judging from Keith's reaction, it was probably pretty bad. There was a part of me that would have loved to tell the Alchemists to send him back there for years and never let him see the light of day. His crimes deserved severe punishment—and yet, I wasn't sure they deserved this particular punishment.**

"**I think… I think Keith Darnell is corrupt," I said at last. "He's selfish and immoral. He has no concern for others and hurts people to further his own ends. He's willing to lie, cheat, and steal to get what he wants." I hesitated before continuing. "But… I don't think he's been blinded to what vampires are. I don't think he's too close to them or in danger of falling in with them in the future. That being said, I also don't think he should be allowed to do Alchemist work for the foreseeable future. Whether that would mean locking him up or just putting him on probation is up to you. His past actions show he doesn't take our missions seriously, but that's because of selfishness. Not because of an unnatural attachment to them. He… well, to be blunt, is just a bad person."**

**Silence met me, save for the frantic scrawling of pens as the clipboard Alchemists made their notes. I dared a glance at Tom, afraid of what I'd see after completely trashing his son.**

**To my astonishment, Tom looked… relieved. And grateful. In fact, he seemed on the verge of tears. Catching my eye, he mouthed, Thank you. Amazing. I had just proclaimed Keith to be a horrible human being in every way possible. But none of that mattered to his father, so long as I didn't accuse Keith of being in league with vampires. I could've called Keith a murderer, and Tom would have probably still been grateful if it meant Keith wasn't chummy with the enemy.**

**It bothered me and again made me wonder who the real monsters were in all of this. The group I'd left back in Palm Springs was a hundred times more moral than Keith.**

"**Thank you, Miss Sage," said Gray Bun, finishing up her notes. "You've been extremely helpful, and we'll take this into consideration as we make our decision. You may go now. If you step into the hall, you'll find Zeke waiting to take you out." It was an abrupt dismissal, but that was typical of Alchemists. Efficient. To the point. I gave a polite nod of farewell and one last glance at Keith before opening the door. As soon as it shut behind me, I found the hallway mercifully silent. I could no longer hear Keith.**

**Zeke, as it turned out, was the Alchemist who had originally led me in. "All set?" he asked.**

"**So it seems," I said, still a bit stunned over what had just taken place. I knew now that my earlier debriefing on the Palm Springs situation had simply been a convenience for the Alchemists.**

**I'd been in the area, so why not have an in-person meeting? It hadn't been essential.**

**This—seeing Keith—had been the real purpose of my cross-country trip.**

**As we walked back down the hallway, something caught my attention that I hadn't noticed before. One of the doors had a fair amount of security on it—more so than the room I'd just been in. Along with the lights and keypad, there was also a card reader. At the top of the door was a deadbolt that locked from outside. Nothing fancy, but it was clearly meant to keep whatever was behind the door inside.**

**I stopped in spite of myself and studied the door for a few moments. Then, I kept walking, knowing better than to say anything. Good Alchemists didn't ask questions.**

**Zeke, seeing my gaze, came to a halt. He glanced at me, then the door, and then back at me. "Do you want… do you want to see what's in there?" His eyes darted quickly to the door we'd emerged from. He was low-ranking, I knew, and clearly feared getting in trouble with the others. At the same time, there was an eagerness that suggested he was excited about the secrets he kept, secrets he couldn't share with others. I was a safe outlet.**

"**I guess it depends on what's in there," I said.**

"**It's the reason for what we do," he said mysteriously. "Take a look, and you'll understand why our goals are so important."**

**Deciding to risk it, he flashed a card over the reader and then punched in another long code. A light on the door turned green, and he slid open the deadbolt. I'd half-expected another dim room, but the light was so bright inside, it almost hurt my eyes. I put a hand up to my forehead to shield myself.**

"**It's a type of light therapy," Zeke explained apologetically. "You know how people in cloudy regions have sun lamps? Same kind of rays. The hope is that it'll make people like him a little more human again—or at least discourage them from thinking they're Strigoi." At first, I was too dazzled to figure out what he meant. Then, across the empty room, I saw a jail cell. Large metal bars covered the entrance, which was locked with another card reader and keypad. It seemed like overkill when I caught sight of the man inside. He was older than me, mid-twenties if I had to guess, and had a disheveled appearance that made Keith look neat and tidy. The man was gaunt and curled up in a corner, arms draped over his eyes against the light. He wore handcuffs and feet cuffs and clearly wasn't going anywhere. At our entrance, he dared a peek at us and then uncovered more of his face.**

**A chill ran through me. The man was human, but his expression was as cold and evil as any Strigoi I'd ever seen. His gray eyes were predatory. Emotionless, like the kinds of murderers who had no sense of empathy for other people.**

"Is that the reason for what you do? Looking up humans?" Rose said. I just shrugged. I didnt want to think about that.

"**Have you brought me dinner?" he asked in a raspy voice that had to be faked. "A nice young girl, I see. Skinnier than I'd like, but I'm sure her blood is still succulent."**

"See? Even he thinks your skinny. You should really eat more" Jill said.

"Like Fundue" Adrian suggested.

"You dont know how much sugar there is in alot of stuff" I said with a sigh, continued reading.

"**Liam," said Zeke with a weary patience. "You know where your dinner is." He pointed to an untouched tray of food in the cell that looked like it had gone cold long ago. Chicken nuggets, green beans, and a sugar cookie. "He almost never eats anything," Zeke explained to me. "It's why he's so thin. Keeps insisting on blood."**

"**What… what is he?" I asked, unable to take my eyes off of Liam. It was a silly question, of course. Liam was clearly human, and yet… there was something about him that wasn't right.**

"**A corrupt soul who wants to be Strigoi," said Zeke. "Some guardians found him serving those monsters and delivered him to us. We've tried to rehabilitate him but with no luck. He keeps going on and on about how great the Strigoi are and how he'll get back to them one day and make us pay. In the meantime, he does his best to pretend he's one of them."**

"**Oh," said Liam, with a sly smile, "I will be one of them. They will reward my loyalty and suffering. They will awaken me, and I will become powerful beyond your miniscule mortal dreams. I will live forever and come for you—all of you. I will feast on your blood and savor every drop. You Alchemists pull your strings and think you control everything. You delude yourselves. You control nothing. You are nothing."**

"**See?" said Zeke, shaking his head. "Pathetic. And yet, this is what could happen if we didn't do the job we did. Other humans could become like him—selling their souls for the hollow promise of immortality." He made the Alchemist sign against evil, a small cross on his shoulder, and I found myself echoing it. "I don't like being in here, but sometimes… sometimes it's a good reminder of why we have to keep the Moroi and the others in the shadows.**

**Of why we can't let ourselves be taken in by them."**

**I knew in the back of my mind that there was a huge difference in the way Moroi and Strigoi interacted with humans. Still, I couldn't formulate any arguments while in front of Liam.**

**He had me too dumbstruck—and afraid. It was easy to believe every word the Alchemists said. This was what we were fighting against. This was the nightmare we couldn't allow to happen.**

**I didn't know what to say, but Zeke didn't seem to expect much.**

"**Come on. Let's go." To Liam, he added, "And you'd better eat that food because you aren't getting any more until morning. I don't care how cold and hard it is." Liam's eyes narrowed. "What do I care about human food when soon I'll be drinking the nectar of the gods? Your blood will be warm on my lips, yours and your pretty girl's." He began to laugh then, a sound far more disturbing than any of Keith's screams.**

**That laughter continued as Zeke led me out of the room. The door shut behind us, and I found myself standing in the hall, numbed. Zeke regarded me with concern.**

"**I'm sorry… I probably shouldn't have shown you that." I shook my head slowly. "No… you were right. It's good for us to see. To understand what we're doing. I always knew… but I didn't expect anything like that." I tried to shift my thoughts back to everyday things and wipe that horror from my mind. I looked down at my coffee. It was untouched and had grown lukewarm. I grimaced.**

"**Can I get more coffee before we go?" I needed something normal. Something human.**

"**Sure."**

"And there is the coffee again!" Adrian said, making a little laugh that sounded really cute.

**Zeke led me back to the lounge. The pot I'd made was still hot. I dumped out my old coffee and poured some new. As I did, the door burst open, and a distraught Tom Darnell came in. He seemed surprised to see anyone here and pushed past us, sitting on the couch and burying his face in his hands. Zeke and I exchanged uncertain looks.**

"**Mr. Darnell," I began. "Are you okay?"**

**He didn't answer me right away. He kept his face covered, his body shaking with silent sobs. I was about to leave when he looked up at me, though I got the feeling he wasn't actually seeing me. "They decided," he said. "They decided about Keith."**

"**Already?" I asked, startled. Zeke and I had only spent about five minutes with Liam.**

**Tom nodded morosely. "They're sending him back… back to Re-education." I couldn't believe it. "But I… but I told them! I told them he's not in league with vampires.**

**He believes what… the rest of us believe. It was his choices that were bad."**

"**I know. But they said we can't take the risk. Even if Keith seems like he doesn't care about them—even if believes he doesn't—the fact remains he still set up a deal with one.**

**They're worried that willingness to go into that kind of partnership might subconsciously influence him. Best to take care of things now. They're… they're probably right. This is for the best."**

**That image of Keith pounding on the glass and begging not to go back flashed through my mind. "I'm sorry, Mr. Darnell."**

**Tom's distraught gaze focused on me a little bit more. "Don't apologize, Sydney. You've done so much… so much for Keith. Because of what you told them, they're going to reduce his time in Re-education. That means so much to me. Thank you." My stomach twisted. Because of me, Keith had lost an eye. Because of me, Keith had gone to Re-education in the first place. Again, the sentiment came to me: he deserved to suffer in some way, but he didn't deserve this.**

"He do deserve it" Adrian said. "He did that to your sister and took vampire blood just to sell it for tattoo stuff"

"Dont talk about my sister" I said.

"**They were right about you," Tom added. He was trying to smile but failing. "What a stellar example you are. So dedicated. Your father must be so proud. I don't know how you live with those creatures every day and still keep your head about you. Other Alchemists could learn a lot from you. You understand what responsibility and duty are." Since I'd flown out of Palm Springs yesterday, I'd actually been thinking a lot about the group I'd left behind—when the Alchemists weren't distracting me with prisoners, of course.**

**Jill, Adrian, Eddie, and even Angeline… frustrating at times, but in the end, they were people I'd grown to know and care about.**

"Awww she cares about us" Adrian said with a cute voice, layd one arm around my shoulders and made me blush but he slowly took away his arm from my shoulders.

Rose were eyeing us suspisious.

**I'd missed that motley group almost the instant I left California. Something inside me seemed empty when they weren't around.**

"Aww she missed us" Jill now said, giving me a quickly hug.

**Now, feeling that way confused me. Was I blurring the lines between friendship and duty?**

**If Keith had gotten in trouble for one small association with a vampire, how much worse was I? And how close were any of us to becoming like Liam?**

**Zeke's words rang inside my head: We can't let ourselves be taken in by them.**

**And what Tom had just said: You understand what responsibility and duty are.**

**He was watching me expectantly, and I managed a smile as I pushed down all my fears.**

"**Thank you, sir," I said. "I do what I can."**

"That was the end of chapter 1" I said, chainging page to chapter 2.

"Who wants to read now?" I asked.

"I want to!" Adrian said. "I want to know whats going on in your brain of yours" he said with a smile and took the book from me.

**"Chapter 2"...**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Thank you for all the reviews, follows and favs :3 Keep up the follows and reviews and I will maybe upload next chapter tomorrow :3**

* * *

**Adrian POV**

"**Chapter 2**" I started started reading.

**I DIDN'T SLEEP THAT NIGHT. **

"After what you saw we can probablly understand that" Guardian Hathaway said.

"Yeah seeing Liam and all that was just terrible" Sydney said and I could see her shrugg her shoulders. I gave her a little pat on the shoulder but continued reading. I loved this book so far. Now I will finally get to know what happens in Sydneys cute little brain of hers but what if the kiss was in there? Did we have to read the kiss?

**Part of it was simply the time change. My flight back to Palm Springs was scheduled for six in the morning—which was three in the morning in the time zone my body still thought it was in. Sleeping seemed pointless.**

"You need to sleep Sage. Or did you make a coffee so you didnt fall asleep?" I told and asked her. She shocked her head.

"No coffee this time" She said.

**And, of course, there was the teeny-tiny fact that it was kind of hard to relax after everything I'd witnessed over at the Alchemist bunker. If I wasn't envisioning Liam's freaky eyes, then I was replaying the constant warnings I'd heard about those who got too close to vampires.**

"What warnings?" Rose asked Sydney, looking confused as If she didnt knew what happened with alchemist getting close to vampires likes us. I knew what It was because Sydney had told me. I was her boyfriend, sort of now after all.

"When a alchemist gets to close to vampires and gets feelings for them the other alchemist directly turn them in. Our one rule is to never get to close to vampires or we will be sent to Re-Education. There they will look you in and you will not be the same after that so thats why I want to keep our friendship a secret." Sydney explained to Rose.

"So you wont go to Re-Education" Rose realised and Sydney nodded.

"Exactly"

**It didn't help the situation that I had an inbox full of messages from the gang in Palm Springs. **

"Is my email there?" I asked Sydney, watching her as she nodded. How did I get so lucky to deserve such a beautiful girl as her.

**Now, in my hotel room, staring at the various messages, I found myself filled with doubt. Were these truly professional? Were they too friendly? Did they blur the lines of Alchemist protocol?**

**After seeing what had happened to Keith, it was more obvious than ever that it didn't take much to get in trouble with my organization.**

"But still here you are. Your in much trubble Sage" I said, chuckled and she smiled. I could see Rose watching us with susipicious eyes. Did she know about our relationshop?

**One message was from Jill, with a subject line reading: Angeline… sigh. This wasn't a surprise to me, and I didn't bother reading it yet. Angeline Dawes, a dhampir recruited to be Jill's roommate and provide an extra layer of security, had had a little trouble fitting into Amberwood.**

"She's still annoying. I wish you were my roommate still instead of her Sydney" Jill said, watching Sydney with not so noticing puppy eyes. I knew Jill liked Sydney as a sister even if Sydney wasnt her sister. She really liked her and she was the only one in our gang that knew about my and Sydneys relationship.

**She was always in trouble for something, and I knew whatever it was this time, there was nothing I could do about it right now.**

"Alot of Trouble and does the caps lock comes next?" Eddie said in agreement and asked a question after that.

"You will know when Adrian read the book" Sydney said and how she said my name made me smile.

**Another message was from Angeline herself. I also didn't read it. The subject was: READ**

**THIS! SO FUNNY! Angeline had only recently discovered e-mail. She had not, so it seemed, discovered how to turn off the caps-lock key.**

"Caps lock. Told ya" Eddie said, clasped his hands together and Sydney rolled her eyes I saw.

**She also had no discrimination when it came to forwarding jokes, financial scams, or virus warnings. And speaking of that last one… we'd had to finally install child protection software on her laptop, in order to block her from certain websites and ads. That had come after she'd accidentally downloaded four viruses.**

"Did she really download four viruses?" Abe asked.

Me, Sydney,Jill,Sonya and Dimitri nodded. We had to put child protection on her laptop after she had downloaded those four viruses. Just as the book said.

"Wow. Never let her near my laptop" Rose said with a grin, making Lissa, queen Lissa to laugh.

**It was the last e-mail in my inbox that gave me pause. It was from Adrian Ivashkov, the only person in our group who wasn't posing as a student at Amberwood Preparatory School.**

"Its me!" I said happily, jumped up and down in the sofa but when I saw the look on their faces, I laughed and stopped.

"But what if its not?" Rose said with a grin. "It can maybe be your long lost brother" she said and I knew she was joking.

"First. No one is as handsome as me. Im Adrian Ivashkov. Awesome and Handsome. Everyone just got to love me and second. I dont have a brother"

"I was just joking" Rose said, rolled her eyes.

"Everyone just got to love Adrian" Sydney said.

"Exactly. Sydney knows what Im talking about" I said and I saw Rose again with a suspicious look, looking at me and Sydney. Fuck.

**Adrian was a twenty-one-year-old Moroi, so it would have been kind of a stretch passing him off in high school.**

"Im to cool for school"

**Adrian was along because he and Jill had a psychic bond that had been inadvertently created when he'd used his magic to save her life. All Moroi wielded some type of elemental magic, and his was spirit—a mysterious element tied to the mind and healing. The bond allowed Jill to see Adrian's thoughts and emotions, which was troubling to both of them.**

"But he's getting better on it so I wont feel his feelings.. like when he's drunk." Jill said.

"But Im getting better at not being drunk" I said. That was true. I didnt drink as much as I did a few weeks ago.

**His staying near her helped them work out some of the bond's kinks. Also, Adrian had nothing better to do.**

"What if I have something to do Sage? Hmm" I said and she rolled her eyes at me.

**His message's subject was: SEND HELP IMMEDIATELY. Unlike Angeline, Adrian knew the rules of capitalization and was simply going for dramatic effect.**

"Oh god what happened now?" Lissa said worried and I rolled my eyes.

**I also knew that if I had any doubts about which of my messages related to my job, this was hands-down the most nonprofessional one in the set. Adrian wasn't my responsibility. Yet, I clicked the message anyway.**

"But Jill is kind of your responsibility and Im bonded with her so the package includes me. Buy a Jill and get a Adrian for free" I said, jokingly and that made Sydney laugh, just a little.

**Day 24. Situation is growing worse. My captors continue to find new and horrific ways to torture me.**

"You got captured?" Christian asked, he had been quiet for a while so finally he said something.

I shook my head and continued reading.

**When not working, Agent Scarlet spends her days examining fabric swatches for bridesmaid dresses and going on about how in love she is.**

Everyone looks at Sonya and she cross her arms. "What? Love does that to you" She said and then she looks at me.

"Agent Scarlet? Really?"

"What? I was bored. I had no ciggaretts left" I said.

**This usually causes Agent Boring Borscht to regale us with stories of Russian weddings that are even more boring than his usual ones.**

This time everyone looked at Dimitri.

"Those stories are not boring" Dimitri said.

"Whatever Boring Borscht" I said.

**My attempts at escape have been thwarted thus far. Also, I am out of cigarettes. Any assistance or tobacco products you can send will be greatly appreciated.**

—**Prisoner 24601**

Everyone laughed a little.

"Told ya I was out of cigarettes" I said.

**I began smiling in spite of myself. Adrian sent me some kind of message like this nearly every day. This summer, we had learned that those who were forcibly turned Strigoi could be turned back with the use of spirit. It was still a tricky, complicated process… made more so by the fact that there were so few spirit users. Even more recent events had suggested that those restored from being Strigoi could never be turned again. That had electrified Alchemists and Moroi alike. If there was some magical way to prevent Strigoi conversion, freaks like Liam would no longer be a problem.**

**That was where Sonya Karp and Dimitri Belikov came in—or, as Adrian called them in his angst-filled letters, "Agent Scarlet" and "Agent Boring Borscht."**

"I will call you two for Agent Scarlet and Agent Boring Borscht now. Forever" I said, made a muahahaha laugh.

**onya was a Moroi; Dimitri was a dhampir. Both had once been Strigoi and had been saved by spirit magic. The two of them had come to Palm Springs last month to work with Adrian in a sort of think tank to figure out what might protect against Strigoi turning. It was an extremely important task, one that could have huge ramifications if successful. Sonya and Dimitri were some of the hardest working people I knew—which didn't always mesh with Adrian's style.**

**A lot of their work involved slow, painstaking experiments—many involving Eddie Castile, a dhampir who was also undercover at Amberwood. He was serving as the control subject since, unlike Dimitri, Eddie was a dhampir untouched by spirit or a Strigoi history.**

**"**Yoy were using him as a testing subject?"

"We werent hurting him."

**There wasn't much I could do to help Adrian with his frustration over his research group—and he knew it. He just liked playing up the drama and venting to me. Mindful of what was essential and nonessential in the Alchemist world, I was on the verge of deleting the message, but…**

"Dont delete my message" I said, acted to be sad and looked at her. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I didnt. Read" She said.

**One thing made me hesitate. Adrian had signed his e-mail with a reference to Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. It was a book about the French Revolution that was so thick, it could easily double as a weapon. I had read it in both French and English. Considering Adrian had once gotten bored while reading a particularly long menu, I had a hard time imagining he'd read the Hugo book in any language. So how did he know the reference? It doesn't matter, Sydney, a stern Alchemist voice said inside my head. Delete it. It's irrelevant. Adrian's literary knowledge (or lack thereof) is no concern of yours.**

**But I couldn't do it. I had to know. This was the kind of detail that would drive me crazy. I wrote back with a quick message: How do you know about 24601? I refuse to believe you read the book. You saw the musical, right?**

"You saw what musical?" Rose asked.

**I hit send and received a response back from him almost immediately: SparkNotes.**

"Doesnt answer my question" Rose said again.

**Typical. I laughed out loud and immediately felt guilty. I shouldn't have responded.**

"Why not?" I asked.

**This was my personal e-mail account, but if the Alchemists ever felt the need to investigate me, they'd have no qualms about accessing it.**

"Oh.."

**This kind of thing was damning, and I deleted the e-mail exchange—not that it mattered. No data was ever truly lost.**

**By the time I landed in Palm Springs at seven the next morning, it was painfully obvious that I had surpassed my body's limits to subsist on caffeine. I was too exhausted. No amount of coffee would help anymore. I nearly fell asleep at the airport's curb, waiting for my ride.**

"Dont fall asleep" Jill told Sydney.

"I didnt" she said.

**Dimitri Belikov jumped out of a blue rental car and strode toward me, grabbing hold of my suitcase before I could utter a word. A few nearby women stopped talking to stare at him admiringly.**

"Remind me to kill those womens that looked at you" Rose said, making a few of us roll our eyes.

**I got to my feet. "You don't have to do that," I said, even though he was already loading my suitcase into the trunk.**

"**Of course I do," he said, his words lightly touched with a Russian accent. He gave me a small smile. "You looked like you were asleep."**

"**I should be so lucky," I said, getting into the passenger side. Even if I'd been wide awake, I knew Dimitri would've taken my suitcase anyway. That's how he was, a lost remnant of chivalry in the modern world, ever-ready to help others.**

Rose rolled her eyes. "Thats my Dimitri" she said and I looked away for a second, started reading again a few seconds later.

**That was only one of the many striking things about Dimitri. His looks alone were certainly enough to make many halt in their tracks. He had dark brown hair pulled back into a short ponytail, with matching brown eyes that seemed mysterious and alluring. He was tall, too—about 67—rivaling some Moroi. Dhampirs were indistinguishable from humans to me, so even I could admit that he scored pretty high on the attractiveness scale.**

Everyone looked at Sydney and she blushed. "He's mine" Rose said to her.

"I know" said Sydney to Rose.

"But thank you for the comment on my boyfriend" she said.

"No problem" Sydney said xD

"What about me?" I asked and I saw Sydney smile at me, rolled her eyes.

"You score also pretty high on the attractiveness scale" She said.

"Thank you" I said.

**There was also an energy around him that you couldn't help but be affected by. He was always on alert, always ready for the unexpected. I'd never seen his guard down. He was constantly ready to strike. He was dangerous, no question, and I was comforted that he was on our side. I always felt safe around him—and a little wary.**

"**Thanks for the ride," I added. "I could've called a taxi." Even as I spoke, I knew my words were as useless as when I'd told him he didn't need to help me with my bag.**

"**It's no problem," he assured me, driving toward suburban Palm Springs. He wiped sweat off his brow and somehow made that look attractive.**

"No comment" Sydney said when everyone looked at her again and she then looked at Rose.

"And No Rose. Im not interested in your boyfriend." she said and that made me smile. God girl.

**Even this early in the morning, the heat was beginning to build. "Sonya insisted. Besides, no experiments today." I frowned at that. Those experiments and the amazing potential they represented to prevent the creation of more Strigoi were vastly important. Dimitri and Sonya knew that and were dedicated to the cause—especially on weekends, when Adrian and Eddie didn't have classes—which made this news so puzzling. My own work ethic had a hard time understanding why there'd be no research happening on a Sunday.**

"**Adrian?" I guessed. Maybe he wasn't "in the mood" for research today.**

"**Partially," said Dimitri. "We're also missing our control subject. Eddie said he had some conflict and couldn't make it."**

**My frown deepened. "What conflict could Eddie have?"**

**Eddie was intensely dedicated too. Adrian sometimes called him mini-Dimitri.**

"Im not a mini dimitri!" Eddie almost shouted out.

"Oh but you are" I said, winked little evily and laughed.

**Although Eddie was going to high school and completing assignments just like me, I knew he'd drop any homework in an instant to help out with the greater good. I could think of only one thing that would take precedence over helping find a "cure" for being Strigoi. My heart suddenly raced.**

"**Is Jill okay?" She had to be. Someone would have told me, right? Eddie's main purpose in Palm Springs—and mine—was to keep her safe. If she was in danger, it would trump everything else.**

"**She's fine," said Dimitri. "I talked to her this morning. I'm not sure what's going on, but Eddie wouldn't be away without good reason."**

"**I suppose not," I murmured, still concerned.**

"**You worry as much as me," teased Dimitri. "I didn't think that was possible."**

"**It's my job to worry. I always have to make sure everyone's okay."**

"**Sometimes it's not a bad thing to make sure you're okay too. You might find it actually helps others."**

"They come first" Dimitri said.

**I scoffed. "Rose always joked about your 'Zen Master Wisdom.' Am I getting a taste of it?**

**If so, I can see why she was helpless against your charms." This earned me one of Dimitri's rare, genuine laughs. "I think so. If you ask her, she'll claim it was the staking and decapitation. But I'm sure it was the Zen wisdom that won her in the end."**

"But it was the staking and decapition" I heard Rose mutter. Just as Sydney said in the book, sheclaim it was the staking and that.

**My answering smile immediately melted into a yawn.**

"Sage. Go to sleep" I said.

"No" Said Sydney.

"What did you say?"

"I said that I dont want to go to bed." She answered me.

"But you need to sleep. The book you need to sleep" I said.

"Then why dont you jump into the book and say that to book Sydney." she said, stuck her tounge out at me.

"I would but the book Sydney is right here cause the book Sydney is you" I argued, stuck my toughe out at her to, laughed.

"Adrian!" Sydney said, stopped with her talk and when she didnt know what else she would said to fight back my talk she let me continue read.

**It was amazing that I could joke with a dhampir. I used to have panic attacks being in the same room with them or Moroi. **

"But not anymore" Sydney said and I just noticed that Sydney and Jill sat curled against each other. I could see that Jill was sleepy, she had her head resting on Sydneys shoulder.

**Slowly, over the last six months, my anxiety had begun to ease up. I'd never shake the feeling of**

"**otherness" I got from all of them, but I'd come a long way. Part of me knew it was a good thing that I still drew that line between them and humans, but it was also good to be flexible in order to make my job smoother. Not too flexible, that inner Alchemist voice warned.**

"**Here we are," said Dimitri, pulling up in front of my dorm at Amberwood Prep. If he'd noticed my shift in mood, he didn't say so. "You should get some rest."**

"See? Even book Dimitri think you needs to rest" I started to argue but Sydney didnt argue back, this time. Aww :C

"**I'll try," I said. "But I need to find out what's going on with Eddie first." Dimitri's face turned all-business. "If you can find him, you should bring him over tonight, and we can see about getting a little work done. Sonya would love it. She has some new ideas."**

**I nodded, reminding myself that that was the kind of standard we needed to adhere to.**

**Work, work, work. We had to remember our higher goals. "I'll see what I can do." I thanked him again and then headed inside, filled with resolve to carry out my mission.**

**So, it was a bit disappointing when my lofty goals were shattered so quickly.**

"**Miss Melrose?"**

"Oh who is it?" Jill asked curious even if she was sleepy.

"You'll see" Sydney answered.

**I turned immediately at the sound of the last name I'd assumed here at Amberwood. Mrs.**

**Weathers, our plump, elderly dorm matron, was hurrying over to me. Her face was lined with worry, which couldn't bode well.**

"**I'm so glad you're back," she said. "I trust you had a good family visit?"**

"**Yes, ma'am." If by "good," she meant "terrifying and unsettling." Mrs. Weathers beckoned me over to her desk. "I need to talk to you about your cousin."**

"Uh oh What did Angeline do know?" Rose asked.

"How did you know it was Angeline?" Sydney asked. Had she spied on them.

"Just a hint" Rose said, winked.

**I held back a grimace as I recalled Jill's e-mail. Cousin Angeline. All of us attending Amberwood were doing so under fake family connections. Jill and Eddie were my siblings. Angeline was our cousin. It helped explain why we were always together and getting involved with each other's business.**

**I sat down with Mrs. Weathers and thought longingly of my bed. "What's happened?" I asked.**

**Mrs. Weathers sighed. "Your cousin is having trouble with our dress code." That was a surprise. "But we have uniforms, ma'am."**

"Jupp. Totally Angeline" Rose said and she were right. Of course it was Angeline cause Sydney and Jill didnt have problem with the dress code. Did they have a dress code? ;)

"**Of course," she said. "But not outside of classes."**

**That was true. I was in khaki dress pants and a green short-sleeved blouse, along with a small gold cross I always wore.**

"Another reminding. Remind me to take you shopping sometime Sydney. Buy you some clothes. Be wilf" Rose said and I could see in her aura that a Idea involving Sydney and dressing and shopping in that idea. I just sighed.

"But Im happy with the clothes I have know. The clothes I have feels just like me. Sydney _Melrose_" Sydney said and I was proud of her saying that. I liked the way she dressed and I didnt want Rose to change that.

**I did a mental rundown of Angeline's wardrobe, trying to recall if I'd ever seen anything concerning about it. Probably the most appalling part was its quality.**

**Angeline had come from the Keepers, a mixed community of humans, Moroi, and dhampirs who lived in the Appalachian Mountains. Along with a lack of electricity and plumbing, the Keepers chose to make a lot of their clothing or at least wear it into threads.**

"**Friday night, I saw her wearing the most appallingly short jean shorts," continued Mrs.**

**Weathers with a shudder. "I immediately chastised her, and she told me they were the only way she could be comfortable in the heat outside. I gave her a warning and advised she find more appropriate attire. Saturday, she appeared in the same shorts and a tank top that was totally indecent. That was when I suspended her to the dorm for the rest of the weekend."**

"That happens when you break the school dressing rule" I heard Sydney mutter. "I would never wear something like that" She said.

"Awww D:" I said, joking, a little bit.

"**I'm sorry, ma'am," I said. Really, I had no idea what else to say. I'd spent the weekend caught up in the epic battle to save humanity, and now… jean shorts?**

**Mrs. Weathers grew hesitant. "I know… well, I know this isn't really anything you should be involved in. It's a parental matter. But, seeing as how you're so responsible and look out for the rest of your family…"**

**I sighed. "Yes, ma'am. I'll take care of it. Thank you for not taking more severe action against her."**

**I went upstairs, my small suitcase growing heavier with each step. When I reached the second floor, I stopped, unsure what to do.**

"Umm.. you can continue walk" I heard Jill said, she sounded sleepy.

"Dont sleep Jill. Soon comes your part" I said and when I said that she woke up a little bit, a little bit.

**One more floor would take me to my room. **

"Of course."

**This floor would take me to "Cousin Angeline." Reluctantly, I turned into the second floor hall, knowing the sooner this was dealt with, the better.**

"**Sydney!" Jill Mastrano opened the dorm room's door, her light green eyes shining with joy. "You're back."**

"I was happy that you were back" Jill muttered with her head still leaning against Sydneys shoulder.

"I know" Sydney said with a smile and stroked her hair.

"**So it seems," I said, following her inside. Angeline was there as well, lounging on her bed with a textbook. I was pretty sure that was the first time I'd ever seen her study, but the house arrest probably limited her recreational options.**

"**What did the Alchemists want?" asked Jill.**

"Curious little Jailbait" I said, earning a smile from Jill, Jailbait.

**She sat cross-legged on her own bed and began absentmindedly playing with the strands of her curly, light brown hair.**

**I shrugged. "Paperwork. Boring stuff. Sounds like things were a little more exciting here." That was delivered with a pointed look at Angeline.**

**The dhampir girl jumped off her bed, face furious and blue eyes flashing. "It wasn't my fault! That Weathers woman was completely out of line!" she exclaimed, a slight southern drawl in her words.**

"YOU were out of line" Sydney corrected book Angeline. Lucky Angeline wasnt her to read with us.

**A quick scan of Angeline showed nothing too concerning. Her jeans were threadbare but decent, as was her T-shirt. Even her mop of strawberry blonde hair was tame for a change, tied back in a ponytail.**

"**What on earth did you wear that got her so upset then?" I asked.**

**Scowling, Angeline went to her dresser and produced a pair of jean shorts with the most ragged hem I'd ever seen. I thought they'd unravel before my eyes. They were also so short that I wouldn't have been surprised if they showed underwear when she wore them.**

"And I wouldnt want to see that" Sydney said.

"Same here" Said the others together.

"**Where did you get those?"**

**Angeline almost looked proud. "I made them."**

"**With what, a hacksaw?"**

"No with a knife" Jill said.

"**I had two pairs of jeans," she said pragmatically. "It was so hot out, I figured I might as well turn one into shorts."**

"**She used a knife from the cafeteria," said Jill helpfully.**

"Jill is always helpfully." I said, meant it as a compliment and Jill noticed it cause I saw her smiling at me, at the brotherly way. Our gang. Sydney,me,Jill and Eddie had become the perfect gang. The perfect not family.

"**Couldn't find the scissors," explained Angeline.**

**My bed. Where was my bed?**

"In your room. Duh." Christian said, smirked.

"**Mrs. Weathers mentioned something about an indecent shirt too," I said.**

"**Oh," said Jill. "That was mine."**

**I felt my eyebrows rise. "What? I know you don't own anything 'indecent."' Before Angeline had come along a month ago, Jill and I had been roommates.**

"**It's not," agreed Jill. "Except, it's not really Angeline's size." I glanced between the two girls and understood. Jill was tall and slim, like most Moroi, with a figure much coveted among human fashion designers, a figure I would've killed to have. Jill had even done some modeling. With that figure came a modest chest. Angeline's chest…**

**was not so modest. If she wore a tank top in Jill's size, I imagined the shirt's structural integrity would indeed be stretched to indecent limits.**

"**Jill wears that tank top all the time and doesn't get in trouble," said Angeline defensively.**

"**I figured there wouldn't be a problem if I borrowed it." My head was starting to hurt. Still, I supposed this was better than the time Angeline had been caught making out with a guy in the boys' bathroom.**

"Really? She made out with a guy in the boys bathroom? How many have that happened?" Rose asked and I shrugg my shoulders.

"One time atleast" Sydney Said.

"**Well. This is easily fixed. We can go—well, I can go since you're stuck here—and get you some clothes in your size tonight."**

"**Oh," Angeline said, suddenly turning more upbeat, "you don't have to. Eddie's handling it."**

**If not for Jill nodding along, I would've thought it was a joke. "Eddie? Eddie's buying you clothes?"**

Everyone looked at Eddie. "What?" he said. "I did my duty. I did it so she wouldnt wear those clothes"

**Angeline sighed happily. "Isn't that nice of him?"**

**Nice? No, but I understood why Eddie would do it. Getting decent clothes for Angeline was the last thing he probably wanted to do, but he would do it. Like me, he understood duty.**

**And now I could guess why Eddie had canceled the experiments—and been vague about his reasons for doing so.**

**I immediately took out my cell phone and called him. He answered right away, like always.**

**I was certain he was never more than three feet from his phone at all times. "Hello, Sydney.**

**Glad you're back." He paused. "You are back, right?"**

"No Eddie. Im in sweden and eating swedish meatballs. Of course im back" Sydney said, laughed and Rose laughed to and the rest of us laughed to but we stopped laughing so I couldnt continue read.

**Yeah, I'm with Jill and Angeline. I understand you've been doing some shopping." He groaned. "Don't get me started. I just walked into my room."**

"**You want to swing by with your purchases? I need the car back anyway." There was a moment's hesitation. "Would you mind coming over here? As long as Jill's okay. She is okay, right? She doesn't need me? Because if she does—"**

"**She's fine." His dorm wasn't far, but I'd been hoping for a quick nap. Nonetheless, I found myself agreeing, just like I always did. "Okay. I'll meet you in the lobby in about fifteen minutes?"**

"**Sounds good. Thanks, Sydney."**

**As soon as I disconnected, Angeline asked excitedly, "Is Eddie coming over?"**

"**I'm going to him," I said.**

**Her face fell. "Oh. Well, I guess it doesn't matter since I have to stay here anyway. I can't wait until I'm free to train again. I'd like to get some more one-on-one time with him." I hadn't realized how focused Angeline was on her training. In fact, she seemed really excited about the prospect of it.**

**I left their room and was surprised to find Jill right behind me once the door shut. Her eyes were wide and anxious. "Sydney… I'm sorry."**

"Dont be sorry" I heard Sydney whisper to Jill and I smiled to myself. They were suck good friends. On the cover on the book they looked almost a little bit alike. Atleast a little bit in my point of view.

**I regarded her curiously, wondering now if she'd done something. "For what?" She gestured toward the door. "For Angeline. I should have done better at keeping her out of trouble."**

**I almost smiled. "That's not your job."**

"**Yeah, I know…" She glanced down, letting some of her long hair fall forward. "But still. I know I should be more like you. Instead, I've just been… you know. Having fun."**

"**You're entitled to it," I said, trying to ignore the subtle commentary on me.**

"**I should still be more responsible," she argued.**

"**You are responsible," I assured her. "Especially compared to Angeline." My family had a cat back in Utah that I was pretty sure was more responsible than Angeline.**

"You have a cat?" Lissa asked Sydney and she nodded.

"The best cat ever and I meant it when I said that my cat is more responsible than Angeline"

**Jill's face brightened, and I left her so that I could return the suitcase to my room. Angeline's arrival and my work in busting Keith had earned me my own private room in the dorm, something I treasured. Inside it, everything was quiet and orderly. My perfect world.**

**The one place that the chaos of my life couldn't touch. The neatly made bed was asking to be slept in. Begging, really. Soon, I promised it. I hope.**

**Amberwood Prep was divided into three campuses, East (where the girls were housed), West (where the boys were), and Central (containing all the academic buildings). A shuttle bus ran between them on a regular schedule, or brave souls could walk between them in the heat. I usually didn't mind the temperatures, but walking seemed like a lot of work today. So, I took the shuttle to West Campus and tried to stay awake.**

**The lobby of the boys' dorm was a lot like my own, people coming and going to either catch up on academic work or simply enjoy the Sunday off. I glanced around, but Eddie wasn't here yet.**

"**Hey, Melbourne."**

"Is it Trey?" Jill wondered.

Sydney nodded.

**I turned and found Trey Juarez approaching, a grin on his tanned face. He was a senior like me and had picked up the Melbourne nickname after one of our teachers proved incapable of remembering Melrose. Honestly, with all these names, it was a wonder I knew who I was anymore.**

"You're Sydney Sage. Alchemist. Do you know now who you are?" I said, asked and laughed a little bit.

"Yes of course" She said and rolled her eyes, told me to continue reading.

"**Hey, Trey," I said. Trey was a bona fide high school football star—but also pretty brainy, no matter how much he tried to hide it. We got along well as a result, and my help in restoring his athletic status last month had gone a long way to raise my stock in his eyes. A backpack hung on one of his shoulders. "Are you finally going to finish that chem lab write-up?"**

"**Yup," he said. "Me and half the cheerleading squad. You want to join us?" I rolled my eyes. "Somehow I doubt there'll be much work going on. Besides, I'm meeting Eddie."**

**Trey gave an easy shrug and brushed some unruly black hair out of his eyes. "Your loss.**

**See you tomorrow." He took a couple of steps and then glanced back at me. "Hey, are you dating anyone?"**

"No Im not" Sydney Said and Rose looke at her with a evil grin.

"Yeah... sure" Rose said, winked.

**I immediately started to say no, and then a panicked thought occurred to me. I had a tendency to take things very literally. Friends of mine here, Kristin and Julia, had been trying to train me up in the subtleties of high school social life. One of their chief lessons was that what people said wasn't always what they meant—particularly in romantic matters.**

"**Are you… are you asking me out?" I asked, taken aback. This was the last thing I needed right now. How should I respond? Should I say yes? Should I say no? I'd had no idea helping him with chemistry homework would be so alluring. I should've made him do it on his own.**

**Trey looked as startled by the thought as I was. "What? No. Of course not."**

"**Thank God," I said. I liked Trey, but I had no interest in dating him—or figuring out what the appropriate way to say "no" would be.**

**He shot me a wry look. "You don't have to look that relieved."**

"**Sorry," I said, trying to mask my embarrassment. "Why'd you ask?"**

"**Because I know the perfect guy for you. I'm pretty sure he's your soul mate." We were back in familiar territory now: logic vs. lack of logic. "I don't believe in soul mates," I said. **

"Does he mean Brayden. The guy from the epilogue?" Rose asked and Sydney nodded.

"Yes its Brayden."

"**It's statistically unreasonable that there's only one ideal person for everyone in the world." And yet, for half a moment, I wished it was kind of possible. It'd be nice to have someone who understood some of the things that went on in my head.**

**Trey rolled his eyes. "Okay. Not a soul mate. How about just someone you could maybe go out with once in a while and have a nice time with?" I shook my head. "I don't have time for anything like that." And I didn't. Keeping everything in order with the group, and pretending to be a student, was a full time job as it was.**

"**I'm telling you, you'd like him. He goes to a public school and just started at Spencer's." Spencer's was a coffee shop Trey worked at, an arrangement that yielded me discounts. "The other day, he was going off on unaerobic vs. aerobic respiration, and I was thinking, 'You know who this sounds like? Melbourne.'"**

"Its Melrose. Not Melbourne. And her name is not Melrose eithet. Its Sage" I said and smiled against Sydney.

"**It's anaerobic respiration," I corrected. "And it still doesn't mean I have the time. Sorry." I had to admit, I was immensely curious about how that topic would have come up between baristas, but figured it was best not to encourage Trey.**

"**Okay," he said. "Don't say I never tried to help you."**

"**Wouldn't dream of it," I assured him. "Hey, there's Eddie."**

"**My cue to go then. See you guys." Trey gave a mock salute to Eddie and me. "Don't forget my offer if you want a hot date, Melbourne."**

**Trey left, and Eddie shot me an astonished look. "Did Trey just ask you out?"**

"**No. He's just got some co-worker he wants to set me up with."**

"**Maybe that's not a bad idea."**

"**It's a terrible idea. Let's go outside."**

**The desert heat didn't seem to care that it was October, and I led us to a bench right by the dorm's stucco walls. Partial shade from some nearby palm trees offered mild relief.**

**People swore the temperature would taper soon, but I'd seen no sign of change. Eddie handed me my car keys and a shopping bag from a local superstore.**

"**I had to guess at size," he told me. "When in doubt, I went big. Figured it was safer that way."**

"Better than small atleast." Eddie said and Sydney nodded in aggreement.

"**Probably." I sat down on a bench and rifled through his purchases. Jeans, khakis, a few solid colored T-shirts. They were very practical, very much something a no-nonsense guy like Eddie would pick out. I approved. "The size actually looks right. Good eye. We'll have to send you out shopping more often."**

"Yes we should" Rose said, smirked at Eddie. "You can shop for all of us" she continued.

"No!" Eddie almost shouted but then laughed.

"I can follow you but not buy for you" He said and rolled his eyes.

"**If that's what I have to do," he said, face serious. I couldn't help but laugh in surprise.**

"**I was joking." I put the shirts back in the bag.**

"Good cause shopping for Angeline was hard" Eddie said, laughed a little but he was serious. He didnt want to shop for Angeline again xD

"**I know that couldn't have been fun." Eddie's face gave nothing away. "Oh, come on. It's okay. You don't have to play stoic with me. I know you didn't enjoy it."**

"**I'm here to do a job. Doesn't matter if I enjoy it or not." I started to protest but then thought better of it. After all, wasn't that my philosophy too?**

**Sacrificing my own wants for higher goals? Eddie was intensely dedicated to this mission. He never backed down. I expected nothing less from him than single-minded focus.**

"**So, does that mean you're up for some experiments tonight?" I asked.**

"**Of cours—" He stopped and reconsidered. "Are Jill and Angeline coming?"**

"**No. Angeline's still under house arrest."**

"**Thank God," he said with visible relief.**

Most of us rolled our eyes. We understanded why he had said that.

I looked down on the book again, read the text in my head and almost burst out laughing.

"Eddie. Didnt knew you feelt like that" Adrian said.

"What?" Eddie asked, confused and Adrian started to read again.

**His reaction was probably the most surprising thing to happen today. I couldn't imagine why Eddie would look so relieved. Aside from his guardian loyalty to Jill, he was also crazy about her. He would've done anything for her, even if it wasn't his job, but refused to share his feelings with her. He thought he was unworthy of a princess. An uneasy thought occurred to me.**

Everyone stared at Eddie and he looked down on his feets, slowly saw back up at them again and smiled slowly.

"So now you know what I feel can you continue reading now?" he asked and the others nodded slowly. Now they knew Eddie had a crush on Jill.

"**Are you… are you avoiding Jill because of her and Micah?" Micah was Eddie's roommate, a nice guy who caused Eddie all sorts of therapy-worthy trauma because he bore so much similarity to Eddie's dead best friend, Mason.**

"I still miss him though. Mason. He would be happy if he knew all of this" Eddie said with a sad little smile. Thought back at a moment with Mason when they were combat training. But Mason got killed and the most still miss him. I didnt know much about him but I knew he was a good guy.

**Micah also had a weird pseudo-dating relationship with Jill. None of us were happy about it, since (aside from the Keepers) humans dating Moroi or dhampirs was strictly taboo. We'd finally decided it would be impossible to keep Jill from a social life, and she swore nothing serious or physical was going on between her and Micah. They just spent a lot of time together. And flirted incessantly.**

**He didn't know the truth about her, but I wondered at what point he'd want more from their relationship. Eddie kept insisting it was better for Jill to have a casual relationship with a human than one with an "unworthy" dhampir like him, but I knew it had to be torturous.**

"**Of course not," said Eddie sharply. "It's not Jill I want to avoid. It's Angeline."**

"**Angeline? What's she done now?"**

"Yeah what did she do this time?" Rose asked the question the otherswere probablly going to ask.

"The book will explain" Eddie said, pointed at the book and let me continue reading.

**Eddie ran a hand through his hair in frustration. His was a sandy blond, not far from my own, which was a dark gold. The similarity made it easy to pass ourselves off as twins. **

"Maybe we are twins in real" Eddie said, winked and I rolled my eyes. We did look like each other, atleast our hair did.

"**She won't leave me alone! She's always dropping these suggestive comments when I'm around and she won't stop staring at me. Like, you wouldn't think that'd be creepy, but it is. She's always watching. And I can't avoid her because she's with Jill a lot of the time, and I have to keep Jill safe."**

"Told ya she was annoying" Jill said, yawned.

**I thought back on recent interactions. "Are you sure you're reading this right? I've never noticed anything."**

"**That's because you don't notice that kind of thing," he said. "You cannot imagine how many excuses she finds to rub up against me."**

**After seeing her homemade jean shorts, I actually could imagine it. "Huh. Well, maybe I can talk to her."**

**Like that, Eddie snapped back to all-business. "No. It's my problem, my personal life. I'll deal with it."**

"**Are you sure? Because I can—"**

"**Sydney," he said gently. "You're the most responsible person I know, but this isn't what you're here to do. You don't have to take care of everything and everyone."**

"Thank you for the I think it was a compliment but I wanted to take care of it." Sydney said. Eddie was like a brother to her, I knew.

"**I don't mind," I said automatically. "It is what I'm here for." But even as I said it, I wondered if that was true. A bit of the anxiety from the bunker returned, making me question if what I did was truly Alchemist responsibility or the desire to help those who—against protocol—**

**had become my friends.**

"**See? Now you sound just like I did earlier." He stood up and flashed me a grin. "You want to come with me to Adrian's? Be responsible together?" His words were meant as a compliment, but they echoed too close to what the Alchemists had told me. And Mrs. Weathers. And Jill. Everyone thought I was so amazing, so responsible and controlled.**

**But if I was so amazing, then why was I always so unsure if I was doing the right thing?**

"That was the second chapter" I said and closed the book, layd it down on the table and stretched out his arm.

"Who is going to read next?" I asked.

"I want to" Jill said, yawned.

"Ok. Jailbait will read the next chapter. So everyone can go to their rooms and go to sleep and we meet here again at 13:00 pm." I said and everyone nodded in agreement. I went to my room, so did the others. I got into my room and fell asleep as soon as I hit the bed.

* * *

**I got little lazy at the end. Its because I stayed up three hours extra just to finish it for you guys and I was really tired :3 And I accidently removed half of the chapter at one time so had to rewrite it. So I hope its good enough XD Stayed up to 02:46 just to finish this for you guys :3 You are all awesome :3 Please review and follow if you like it. :3**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Jill POV**

The next day, after we all had woken up from our sleep and of course after eating breakfast me and everyone else meet in the room we were going to read the book in, the room we were in yesterday.

I sat down on the sofa with Sydney on my side and she gave me the book. I opened the book and searched for Chapter 3. When chapter 3 was opened I started to read it.

**"Chapter 3**" I started.

**EVEN THOUGH EDDIE had told me not to worry about Angeline, the curious part of me couldn't help but prod him about it on the drive over to Adrian's apartment. "How are you going to handle it?" I asked. "Have a heart-to-heart?"**

"I would just simply avoid her as long as I could. Probablly for a long time" Eddie commented as I readed.

**He shook his head. "Mostly I was going to simply avoid her unless absolutely necessary. Hopefully she'll lose interest."**

"She didnt and now look what happened" Eddie said with a sigh and I stroke him nicely over the shoulder and that made him smile and I smiled back at him.

"**Well. I guess that's one method. But, I mean, you're a pretty direct person." If faced with a roomful of Strigoi, he would've walked in without hesitation.**

"Thank you Sydney for the kind of compliment" Eddie said to Sydney.

"No problem Eddie but you are really brave actually" Sydney answered and smiled, making Eddie smile to.

"**Maybe you should try that kind of approach instead. Just confront her and tell her honestly that you're not interested."**

"**That's easy in theory," he said. "Not so much in person."**

"**Seems easy to me."**

"Mut maybe it is. You just have to me brave and honest" Sydney Said, making Eddie roll his eyes and I watched Sydney a little. She knew that I liked Eddie and probablly Adrian, who had healed me when I died. Means Im shadowkissed with Adrian. I could feel his feelings and sometimes it was really annoying but he got got better to hide his feelings from me but because of the bond I knew that Sydney and Adrian were in love in eachother and that they were together.

**Eddie was skeptical. "That's because you've never had to do it." Going to Adrian's was a lot easier than it once had been for me. His apartment used to belong to Keith and was also the site where a Moroi named Lee and two Strigoi had died.**

I looked down on my knees when the book mentioned Lee. I had liked him and he was my very good friend before he died and betrayed us. I was still hurt after what had happened. Seeing Lees dead body had stuck a permanent picture on my brain but I tried to shake it off. Trying not to get depressed.

"You ok?" Eddie asked, layd a hand on my shoulder and looked at me worried and I smiled slowly, nodded.

"Yes" I said shyly, a warm feeling spread trough my body when I felt his hand on my shoulder but when he removed his hand I continued to read.

**Those were hard memories to shake. The Alchemists had offered the apartment to me, since I'd also taken on full responsibility for Palm Springs, but I'd yielded it to Adrian.**

"That was very nice of you" I heard Adrian say to Sydney. I watched Sydney as she smiled, making Adrian smile and me smile to. I could feel that Adrian was happy to be together with Sydney.

**I hadn't been sure I wanted to live there, and he'd been pretty desperate for his own place. When I'd seen how happy the apartment made him, I knew I'd made the right choice.**

**Adrian opened the door before we'd barely had a chance to knock. "The cavalry! Thank God."**

Rose laughed at this, just a little and I eyed her without her noticing it. Adrian had been very hurt after Rose had broken up with him but thank god for Sydney who made Adrian a more happy person than we was before.

"You didnt bring ciggaretts" Adrian told Sydney, making a sad face that looked adorable with his green eyes.

Sydney rolled her eyes at his, shock her head. "No I didnt" She said. "Ciggaretts are no good for you. Your teeths will get yellow and you maybe will get some disease"

**I hid a smile as Eddie and I stepped inside. The first thing that always hit me about this place was the sunny yellow paint Adrian had put up on the walls. He was convinced it helped the mood and had warned us not to question his "artistic sensibilities." The fact that the yellow clashed pretty terribly with his secondhand plaid furniture was apparently irrelevant. Or maybe I just wasn't "artistic" enough to appreciate it. Nonetheless, I actually found the erratic style comforting. It bore little resemblance to Keith's decorating, making it a little easier to blot out the events of that awful night. Sometimes, when I looked around the living room, my breath would catch as visions of the vicious Strigoi attack and Lee's death haunted me. Adrian's stamp on the apartment was like light chasing away the gruesome shadows of the past.**

**Sometimes when I was down, Adrian's personality had a similar effect.**

"Nawww" I couldnt help but say and Sydney watched me questioning, I just waved my hand stupidly at her and continued reading.

"**Nice blouse, Sage," he told me, deadpan. "It really brings out the khaki in your pants." His sarcasm aside, he looked supremely delighted to see us. He had the tall, lean build that most Moroi guys did, along with their typically pale (though not Strigoi-pale) skin. I hated to admit it, but he was more good-looking than he had any right to be.**

"Sydney thinks Adrian is good looking" Rose teased, as if she was three years old and stuck her tounge out at Sydney who blushed. It didnt show so mush but I couldt see the small faint of red on her cheeks.

"Thank you Sage for thinking Im good looking" Adrian said, smiling and I could feel my body getting warmer with feelings for Sydney. That was of course Adrians feelings I felt.

**He wore his dark brown hair stylishly messy and had eyes that sometimes seemed too green to be real. Adrian had on one of those button-up printed shirts that were trendy with guys lately, with a blue pattern on it I liked.**

"You seem to like much about Adrian" I heard Rose mutter. Was she on their tracks? Did she knew.

**He smelled like he'd been smoking recently, which I didn't like.**

**Dimitri and Sonya were sitting at the kitchen table going over a bunch of papers with hand-written notes on them. The papers were kind of haphazardly scattered around, which made me wonder how much work they could really be accomplishing. I would have had those pages neatly stacked and organized by topic.**

"Or course you would" Both Adrian and Eddie said at the same time, both rolled their eyes at their same time to.

"**Glad you're back, Sydney," said Sonya. "I've needed a little female support here." The prettiness of her red hair and high cheek bones was tainted by the fact that she showed her fangs when she smiled. Most Moroi were taught early to avoid that, to prevent detection from humans. Sonya had no qualms about doing it in private. It still bugged me.**

**Dimitri smiled at me. It made his already handsome face even more so, and I knew that**

**´Zen master wisdom´ wasn't the reason Rose had fallen for him.**

Sydney blushed and I felt jelousy trough the bond and looked at Adrian, sending him calming thoughts.

"Maybe it was Sydney" Rose teased a little bit and grined, making Sydney blush a little more.

"**I'm guessing you didn't take a nap."**

"**Too much to do," I said.**

**Sonya gave Eddie a curious look. "We've been wondering where you were."**

"**Busy at Amberwood," said Eddie vaguely.**

"Yeah you were busy buying clothes for Angeline" Adrian said.

"We should make you our personal shopping assistant" Rose said and when I looked at Eddies face I saw horror, making a few us laugh and roll on our eyes.

"Just kidding Eddie. Dont be so scared" Rose said, laughed and I saw the horror disappear from Eddies face and he smiled.

**He'd mentioned in the car that it might be best if Angeline's indiscretion and his forced shopping weren't mentioned.**

"But know we now" Adrian said, laughed a cute little evil laugh. Adrian sounded very cute when he laughed.

"**You know, keeping an eye on Jill and Angeline. Besides, I was waiting until Sydney came back since she wanted to see what we were doing." I let the white lie slide.**

"**How is Angeline?" asked Dimitri. "Is she improving?"**

"Not so much" both Sydney and Eddie said at the same time. "The caps lock is such a horror. Oh the horror!" Eddie joked and we laughed.

**Eddie and I exchanged glances. So much for avoiding her indiscretions. "Improving how exactly?" I asked. "In combat, in following the dress code, or in keeping her hands to herself?"**

"**Or in turning off caps-lock?" added Eddie.**

"**You noticed that too?" I asked.**

"**Hard not to," he said.**

"No! No caps lock!" Eddie shouted but he was joking. He put his hands over his ears his ears while saying caps lock over again and when I punched him, not hard on the arm he stop and I just stuck my tounge out at him and laughed and the other laughed with me. After the laughing moment I continued reading.

**Dimitri looked surprised, which was not a common thing. He wasn't caught off guard very often, but then, no one could really prepare for what Angeline might do.**

Sydney and Eddie made a high five. It was rare to see Dimitri suprised and they had made him look suprise. I just rolled my eyes, wich many of us had done very much when reading these three chapters.

"**I didn't realize I needed to be more specific," said Dimitri after a pause. "I meant combat." Eddie shrugged. "There's a little improvement, but it's hard to get through to her. I mean, she's absolutely dead set on protecting Jill, but she's also convinced she already knows how.**

**She's got years of that sloppy training drilled into her. It's hard to break that. Plus, she's…**

**easily distracted."**

**I had to swallow a laugh.**

"Awww why you not laugh? You laugh sounded cute at the mini golf" Adrian said and ruffsed Sydneys hair and I saw Rose looking at them, suspicious and I didnt want her to know and I knew they also didnt want her to know. Atleast for now.

"We all should go out and play mini golf sometime" I said, just to make Rose think of something else than watching Adrian and Sydney.

"That would be fun!" Lissa, my big sister said and smiled at me and I smiled back.

"Just watch out for me,Eddie,Sydney and Jill. We are pretty badass at mini golf" Adrian said and then he looked on my, nodded as if to say thanks.

**Dimitri still looked troubled. "She has no time for distraction. Maybe I should talk to her."**

"**No," said Eddie firmly, in a rare show of contradicting Dimitri. "You've got plenty to do here. She's my responsibility to train. Don't worry."**

**Adrian pulled up a chair, turning it backwards so he could rest his chin on its back. "What about you, Sage? I know we don't have to worry about you violating the dress code. Did you have fun at your Alchemist spa this weekend?"**

"No" Sydney said simply. "But the coffee was excellent" she continued wich made Adrian smile.

**I set down my bag and walked over to the refrigerator. "If by spa, you mean underground bunker. And it was just business." I made a face as I looked inside. "You promised to get me diet pop."**

"I will get you a diet pop someday but those are not good for you if you count the callories and stuff" Adrian said.

"You owe me a diet pop" Sydney said, crossing her arms and Adrian laughed.

"**I did promise that," said Adrian, no remorse whatsoever. "But then I read some article that said those artificial sweeteners aren't good for you. So, I figured I'd watch out for your health." He paused. "You're welcome."**

"Thank you" Sydney said, rolling her eyes.

**Dimitri said what we were all thinking. "If you want to start tackling healthy habits, I could suggest a few."**

"You can stop drinking" I suggested.

"And you can stop smoking" Eddie added and Adrian looked at us with a sad face, but he was not sad. He was just acting sad.

"I dont drink/smoke as much as I do as a few weeks/months ago" he said, the sad face disappearing and a smile appeared on his face.

**If Eddie or I had said that, it would have rolled right off Adrian—particularly since it was completely valid. But coming from Dimitri? That was different. There was a huge amount of tension between the two men, tension that had been building for a long time. Dimitri's girlfriend, a notorious dhampir named Rose Hathaway, had briefly dated Adrian. She hadn't meant to hurt him, but she'd been in love with Dimitri the whole time. So, there was no way that situation could have ended well. Adrian still carried a lot of scars from that and was particularly bitter toward Dimitri.**

No one commented at this part of the chapter. Adrian was still a little hurt deep inside about that. When no one said anything I continued reading.

"**Wouldn't want to inconvenience you," said Adrian, a bit too coolly. "Besides, when not hard at work with this research, I'm actually conducting a side experiment on how cigarettes and gin increase charisma. As you might guess, the results are looking very promising." Dimitri arched an eyebrow. "Wait, go back. Did you say hard at work?" Dimitri's tone was light and playful, and again, I was struck by the double standard here. If I'd made that comment, Adrian's response would've been something like, "Absolutely, Sage.**

**I'll probably win the Nobel Prize for this." But for Adrian, Dimitri's words were a call to battle. I saw a glint of something hard in Adrian's eyes, a stirring of some old pain, and it bothered me.**

**That wasn't his way. He always had a smile and a quip, even if they were often irreverent or inappropriate. I'd gotten used to that. I kind of liked it.**

**I glanced at Adrian with a smile that I hoped looked genuine, rather than a desperate attempt to provide distraction. "Research, huh? I thought you were a gambling man." It took Adrian a few moments to drag his gaze from Dimitri and fix it on me. "I've been known to roll the dice now and then," he said warily. "Why?" I shrugged. "No reason. Just wondering if you'd put your charisma research on hold and step up for a challenge. If you went twenty-four hours without cigarettes, I'd drink a can of pop. Regular pop. The whole can."**

"You so wont do that!" Rose said, looked at Sydney with a shocked expression. Sydney never had a regular pop before, as long as I knew about it she never had one before.

"Adrian went one week without it and I didnt drink a regular pop" Sydney said and Adrian smile.

"He did?" Christian asked and he spoke for the rest of us, many didnt expect Adrian to be a week away from alcohol and ciggaretts.

"But I did and you Sydney still owe me that you have to drink one" Adrian said.

"Never" Sydney said with a teasing voice, stuck out her tounge playfully and laughed.

**I saw the glimmer of Adrian's earlier smile returning. "You would not."**

"**I totally would."**

"No you wont" Adrian said.

"Yes I would" Sydney argued.

"No"

"Yes"

"No"

"Yes"

"Stop it!" I almost screamed after hearing Adrian and Sydney say yes and no for a few minutes and they went quiet, looked at me little shocked.

"Stop say yes and no so I can continue read" I said and continued reading.

"**Half a can would put you into a coma."**

**Sonya frowned. "Are you diabetic?" she asked me.**

"No Im not" Sydney answered on book Sonyas answer.

"Your candy and sugar free life sounds that you are" Adrian said.

"**No," said Adrian, "but Sage is convinced one extraneous calorie will make her go from super skinny to just regular skinny. Tragedy."**

"**Hey," I said. "You think it'd be a tragedy to go an hour without a cigarette."**

"**Don't question my steel resolve, Sage. I went without one for two hours today."**

"**Show me twenty-four, and then I'll be impressed."**

"I went one week without. You impressed now?" Adrian asked and grinned at Sydney.

"Very" She said and rolled her eyes.

**He gave me a look of mock surprise. "You mean you aren't already? And here I thought you were dazzled from the moment you met me."**

**Sonya shook her head indulgently at the two of us, like we were adorable children.**

"Naww Sonya. You think we are adorable children?" Adrian teased Sonya and she blushed.

"You were acting like children a little" she admitted.

"**You're missing out, Sydney," she remarked, tapping the open pop in front of her.**

"You are missing out. Pop and Coca cola and all sugar stuff is amazing." Sonya told Sydney and we nodded in agreement.

"But you are moroi and dhampirs. You can eat so much stuff and still keep your form. Not getting fat" Sydney said with a sigh.

"**I need about three of these a day to keep me focused on all this work. No detrimental effects so far." No detrimental effects so far? Of course not. Moroi never had any. Sonya, Jill… they could all eat whatever they wanted and still keep those amazing bodies. Meanwhile, I labored over every calorie and still couldn't reach that level of perfection. Fitting into these size four khakis had been a triumph this morning. Now, looking at Sonya's slender build, I felt enormous by comparison.**

"Your not enormous!" I said to Sydney and all of us nodded in agrement.

"Your skinny Sydney. Skinny for being a human" Adrian said and poked her on the stomach, making her giggle a little.

"But you dont have to worry about your weight and stuff" Sydney said.

**I suddenly regretted my comment about drinking a can of pop, even if it had succeeded in distracting Adrian. I supposed I could rest easy knowing that him skipping cigarettes for a day was impossible.**

"Hey! thats not impossible!" Adrian said an Sydney rolled her eyes.

"I know" she said.

**I'd never be called to pay up on my sugary wager.**

"**We should probably get to work. We're losing time." That was Dimitri, getting us back on track.**

"But I dont want to work. Im a grown up man" Adrian said, joked a little andhe had a sad expression on his face but he was just acting so I rolled my eyes and I patted him on the head, making him smile.

"**Right," said Adrian. "This is five minutes of valuable research wasted. Up for more fun, Castile? I know how much you love sitting around." Because they were trying to find something special about Dimitri, Sonya and Adrian would often sit the two dhampirs side by side and study their auras in fine detail.**

"Why?" Guardian Hathaway asked and looked at Sydney a little confused.

"You'll see" Sydney answered Guardian Hathaway, Rose mother.

**Their hope was that Dimitri's Strigoi conversion had left some sign that would help explain the immunity to being turned again.**

"Oh... wait? Cant restored Strigois turn strigoi again?" guardian Hathaway asked and Sydney nodded.

**It was a valid idea, though not something that someone as active as Eddie enjoyed.**

**He didn't complain, of course. Eddie wore a look as tough and determined as Dimitri. "Tell me what you need."**

"**We want to do another aura study," said Sonya. Looked like poor Eddie would be doing some more sitting around.**

"Im not poor" Eddie muttered and crossed his arms over his chest.

"**Last time we focused on any sign of spirit. This time, we want to show both of you some pictures and see if they trigger any color changes in your auras." I nodded in approval. A lot of psychological experiments attempted similar techniques, though they usually monitored physiological responses instead of mystical auras.**

"**I still say it's a waste," said Adrian. "They're both dhampirs, but that doesn't mean we can assume any different reactions they have are because Belikov was a Strigoi. Everyone's unique. Everyone's going to respond differently to pictures of kittens or spiders. My old man?**

**He hates kittens."**

"**Who could hate kittens?" asked Eddie.**

"My father hates kittens. But it sounds so stupid. Kittens are so sweet and so soft. They are just so adorable. Remind me to buy a bunch of kittens when we are done with this book" Adrian said, hugged himself when he talked about kittens.

"Kittens are so cute" I said in aggreement to what Adrian had said and the rest nodded in agreement to.

"I love kittens" Rose said and we all looked at her and she blushed, something you dont see very often.

**Adrian made a face. "He's allergic."**

"Fuck allergic. Buy kittens!" Christian said. Kittens were in all heads now. Those damn cute little kittens, so fluffy and so.. soft.

"**Adrian," said Sonya. "We've already been over this. I respect your opinion but still think we can learn a lot." I was actually impressed that Adrian had an opinion. So far, I'd kind of felt like he was just going along with everything Sonya and Dimitri told him to do and that he didn't give these experiments much thought. And, although I wasn't familiar with the auras that surrounded all living creatures, I could understand his point that individual differences would throw off their research.**

"**All data is useful in this case," said Dimitri. "Especially since we haven't found anything so far. We know there's something different about former Strigoi. We can't rule out any chance to observe it."**

**Adrian's lips tightened, and he made no further protest. Maybe it was because he felt overruled, but I had a feeling it was because he just didn't want to engage with Dimitri.**

**With the attention off me, I settled into the living room with a book and tried to stay awake.**

"Just go to sleep Sage" Adrian said to book Sydney but book Sydney didnt hear him cause its a book.

**They didn't need me.**

"We do need you. You are our Sydney Sage" Adrian said.

**I'd simply come to keep Eddie company. Occasionally, I'd check the others' progress. Dimitri and Eddie watched as Sonya flipped through different images on her laptop.**

"Some of the pictures wasnt very nice. Some disgusting." Eddie said and frowned a little, he probably remembered one of the pictures from Sonyas laptop.

"But some were cute and adorable" Dimitri said and Eddie nodded in agrement.

**In turn, Adrian and Sonya watched the dhampirs closely and made notes on paper. I almost wished I could see the bands of color and light and wondered if there really were any noticeable differences. Studying Eddie and Dimitri, I sometimes would notice a change in facial expression when particularly cute or horrific images showed up on the screen, but for the most part their work remained a mystery to me.**

**Curious, I walked over to Sonya when they were about halfway through. "What do you see?" I asked in a low voice.**

"Auras" both Sonya and Adrian said at the same time.

"**Colors," she said. "Shining around all living things. Eddie and Dimitri have different colors, but they have the same reactions." She changed the picture on the screen to one of a factory spilling black smoke into an otherwise clear sky.**

The most of us frowned at this, the expression on Sonyas face made me knew that she could see our aura change cause no one liked it, tough it was just written down in this book.

"**Neither of them like this. Their auras dim and turn troubled." She flipped to the next image, a smile on her lips. Three kittens appeared on the screen.**

Our aura lightened up at this. The next about the kittens. I knew it cause I could feel it trough the bond with Adrian.

"**And now they warm up. Affection is very easy to spot in an aura. So far, they react in normal ways. There's no sign in Dimitri's aura that he's different from Eddie." I returned to the couch.**

**After a couple of hours, Sonya called a halt. "I think we've seen what we needed to. Thank you, Eddie."**

"Your welcome" Eddie said to the book Sonya and I saw a little smile appear on his face, making me smile to. I liked when Eddie smiled, his smiles were so cute.

"**Happy to help," he said, rising from his chair and stretching. He seemed relieved both that it was over and that it had involved something slightly more interesting than staring off into space. He was active and energetic, and didn't like captivity.**

When reading the thing about that he didnt like captivity I saw something change with Eddie. Like he remembered back to something that happened a long time ago and I guessed that it was that thing about Spokane.

"**Although… we've got a few other ideas," she added. "Do you think you guys can power through a little longer?" Naturally, she asked just as I was yawning.**

"If you dont go to sleep soon I will jump into the book and carry you to bed" Adrian sad to Sydney.

"Go ahead" Sydey said and gestured to the book, crossed hers arms after gesturing to the book.

"Jump into the book then. I DARE you" She said and stuck out her tounge at Adrian. "You cant make me sleep"

Adrians smallened his eyes, watching Sydney closly but then stuck his tounge out at Sydney and laughed, shock his head and gestured to me to continue read.

**Eddie regarded me with sympathy. "I'll stay, but you don't have to. Go sleep. I'll get a ride home."**

"**No, no," I said, stifling a second yawn. "I don't mind. What are your other ideas?"**

"Sleep!" Everyone in the room expect Sydney and I said to the Sydney in the book.

"**I was hoping to do something similar with Eddie and Dimitri," she explained. "Except this time, we'd use sounds instead of images. Then I'd like to see how they respond to direct contact with spirit."**

"How are you going to do that?" Abe Mazur asked Sonya.

"Healing, mindcontrol.. t ex" Sonya said. "You'll see" _( T ex - till exempel - for example )_

"**I think that's a good idea," I said, not really sure what that last one would entail. "Go for it.**

**I'll wait."**

**Sonya glanced around and seemed to notice I wasn't the only one who looked tired.**

"Seems like you have to carry more than one to bed" Sydney told Adrian and winked.

"I will carry you all to bed" Adrian answered, pointed to everyone in the room and chukled.

"**Maybe we should get some food first." Eddie brightened up at that.**

"**I'll go," I offered.**

"That was very nice of you" Guardian Hathaway told Sydney.

**It was a sign of my progress that vampires talking about "food" no longer made me hyperventilate. I knew she didn't mean blood, not if the dhampirs and I were being involved.**

"Me and Dimitri have a name you know than dhampir" Dimitri said and Sydney rolled her eyes and looked at Dimitri.

"I know" Sydney said.

**Besides, there was no feeder around. Feeders were humans who willingly gave blood to Moroi for the high it produced. Everyone here knew better than to even joke about that around me. "There's a good Thai carryout place a few blocks away."**

"**I'll help," said Adrian eagerly.**

"**I'll help," said Sonya. "The last time you ran an errand, you were gone two hours."**

Adrian scowled but the rest of us laughed.

"I guess you were drinking some or smoking?" Rose guessed and both me and Adrian nodded.

**Adrian scowled but didn't deny the charge. "Our aura observations have been identical anyway. You can get them started on the sounds without me."**

"What kind of sounds did you play?" Christian asked Adrian.

"You dont want to know" Eddie said directly so Adrian had no time to answer. I knew what kind of sounds Adrian played for them, the most of them wasnt nice. Noices of slenderman, screams, a girl screm and moans and stuff. But he did play sounds of kittens that was very cute. I had been in his head at that moment.

**Sonya and I took everyone's orders and set out. I didn't really feel like I needed help, but I supposed carrying food for five people—even for a few blocks—could get unwieldy. I soon learned she had other motives for coming along, though.**

"**It feels good to get outside and stretch my legs," she said. It was early evening, with significantly less sun and heat—a condition the Moroi loved. We walked along a side street leading toward downtown, lined with cute apartments and small businesses. All around us, huge palm trees loomed, providing an interesting contrast to the eclectic urban setting. "I've been cooped up there all day."**

**I smiled at her. "And here I thought Adrian was the only one who got cabin fever from the work you guys do."**

"**He just complains the most," she explained.**

"I do not just complain" Adrian said, his voice a little bit sour and Sonya laughed a little, nodded a little.

"Well.. you do go on a break sometime and smoke." She said and grinned.

Adrian just pouted and Sonya laughed.

"**Which is kind of funny since he also probably gets out the most, between his classes and his cigarette breaks." I'd nearly forgotten about the two art classes Adrian was taking at a local college.**

"You? Adrian. Taking classes?" Christian asked a little bit shocked. They probably thought he was smoking and drinking on his freetime and other stuff. I could see on their faces that they didnt knew that he was taking classes.

Adrian noded and smiled proudly. "Yes I am" he said, proudly.

"His paintings are really beautiful" I said and that was true. I had seen alot of his paintings and they are beautiful.

"Can we see some of them? After the book?" Lissa asked, curious.

"Yes. After the book" Adrian answered and nodded.

**He usually kept his latest projects on display, but there'd been none in the living room lately. I hadn't realized until that moment how much I missed them.**

"You miss my paintings Sage?" Adrian asked Sydney. I could feel that he was a little shocked. He didnt knew at that time she missed his paintings. Just as it said in the book.

"Yes. As Jill said. They are beautiful" Sydney said and smiled at Adrian, gave two thumbs up.

**I might give him a hard time, but sometimes those artistic glimpses into the way he thought were fascinating.**

**Sonya gave me a brief recap of her wedding plans as we walked the short distance to the Thai restaurant. Her relationship with dhampir Mikhail Tanner was kind of epic on a lot of levels, I supposed. First, dhampirs and Moroi didn't generally get involved in serious relationships.**

"Epic?" Sonya asked, maybe confused.

Sydney just shrugged and grinned a little.

**Usually, they were just casual affairs that resulted in the reproduction of more dhampirs.**

"Me and Mikhail are not a affair" Sonya asked with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I know" Sydney grinned.

**In addition to the scandal of even being involved, Mikhail had actually wanted to hunt down Sonya when she was a Strigoi to free her from that twisted state. Rose had attempted the same with Dimitri, believing death was better than being a Strigoi. **

"Death is better being Strigoi" Sonya said now with her eyes closed, she shrugged. Probably thinking back to her time as a Strigoi. Im happy for Sonya and Mikhail. They are perfect for each other. Without Sonya I wouldnt have been here. It was only her and my mother that knew I was Eric Dragomirs daughter.

**Mikhail had failed, but their love had remained steadfast enough through the ordeal that when she'd defied the odds and been restored, they'd immediately gotten back together. I couldn't even begin to imagine love like that.**

"**We're still deciding on flowers," she continued. "Hydrangeas or lilies. I'm guessing I know what your vote is for."**

"We already have a lily here. Im pretty happy with the lily we have here" Adrian said and I knew that he meant Sydney. He called her lily cause her tattoo is a lily, a golden lily. Just like the book title. The Golden Lily.

I saw Sydney blush, this time you saw it when you watched her and I saw Rose watching her, for the maybe third time with a suspisious eyes so I continued reading.

"**Actually, I'd say hydrangeas. I'm around too many lilies already." She laughed at that and suddenly knelt near a flower bed filled with gladiolas. "More than you know. There are lilies sleeping in this bed."**

"**They're out of season," I pointed out.**

"**Nothing's ever out of season."**

"Then we are going to buy strawberrys after this" I heard Rose whisper to Dimitri who just smiled and rolled his eyes.

**Sonya glanced around covertly and then rested her fingers on the earth. Moments later, dark green shoots appeared, growing taller and taller until a red trumpet lily opened up on top. "Ah. Red. Alchemists ones are white—oh, are you okay?" I had backed up so far on the sidewalk that I'd nearly walked into the street. **

"Oh did you scare sydney sage?" Abe asked Sonya who nodded and then she watched Sydney.

"Sorry for that Sydney" She told her.

"Its ok" Sydney said.

"**You… you shouldn't do that. Someone might see."**

"She's right" Dimitri pointed out.

"No one saw" Sonya said.

"**No one saw," she said, getting to her feet. Her face softened. "I'm so sorry. I forget sometimes how you feel about this. It was wrong of me."**

"**It's okay," I said, not sure that it was. Vampire magic always made my skin crawl. Vampires, creatures who needed blood, were bad enough.**

I opened my mouth to comment something but Sydney interupted me.

"I dont mean you guys. Dont worry" Sydney tod me and smiled and I smiled back.

**But being able to manipulate the world with magic? Even worse. That lily, although beautiful, took on a sinister edge now. It shouldn't have existed this time of the year.**

**No more was said about magic, and we soon reached the main strip downtown, where the Thai restaurant was. We placed a giant carryout order and were told it would take about fifteen minutes. Sonya and I lingered outside, admiring downtown Palm Springs in twilight. Lastminute shoppers were out before the boutiques closed, and all the restaurants were hopping with those coming and going. Many of them had outdoor tables on the sidewalk, and friendly conversation buzzed around us. A large fountain, tiled in bright colors, fascinated children and inspired tourists to stop for photo ops. Sonya was easily distracted by the various plants and trees that the city used to beautify the streets. Even without spirit's ability to affect living things, she was still quite the gardener.**

"**Hey you! Elder Melrose!"**

"Who is it?" Lissa asked.

"No one!" I said cause I directly knew who it was. Lia DiStefano. Fuck. They wil know about the modeling.

**I turned and winced when I saw Lia DiStefano striding toward me.**

"Who is Lia DiStefano?" Rose asked. Me and Sydney exchanged looks.

"You will soon know" I said.

**Lia was a fashion designer with a shop here in downtown Palm Springs. I hadn't realized we were standing directly across from her store. If I had, I would've waited inside the restaurant. Lia was short but had an overwhelming presence, enhanced by the flamboyant gypsy style she often chose for her personal attire.**

"I dont like where this is going" Eddie muttered.

"**I've been calling you for weeks," she said, once she reached our side of the street. "Why don't you answer?"**

"**I've been really busy," I said straight-faced.**

"**Uh-huh." Lia put her hands on her hips and tried to stare me down, which was kind of amazing since I was taller. "When are you going to let your sister model for me again?"**

Everyone went quiet and they were now watching me. I blushed and looked down in the book. Wanted to rip out that page with Lia.

"You were modeling?" Eddie asked shocked and I nodded, shyly.

"Im sorry" I whispered and Sydney gave me a little hug.

"Its ok Jill. Remember what I said. Stay away from her" She told me and I nodded, smiled.

"**Miss DiStefano," I said patiently, "I've told you before. She can't do it anymore. Our parents don't like it. Our religion doesn't allow faces to be photographed." Last month, Jill's runway-perfect build and gorgeous, ethereal features had attracted Lia's attention. Seeing as having your picture taken en masse was kind of a bad way to stay in hiding, we'd only agreed to let Jill walk in Lia's fashion show because all the models wore Venetian masks.**

"So no one saw it was you?" Rose asked me and I nodded.

"Good" Eddie said.

**Lia had been on me ever since to let Jill model again. It was hard because I knew Jill wanted to, but she understood as well as I did that her safety came first. Claiming we were part of some obscure religion had often explained away our weird behaviors to others, so I'd figured it would get Lia off my back. It hadn't.**

"Kick her butt?" Rose asked Sydney and Sydney laughed.

"Yes. Kick her butt Rose if you want" she said.

"**I never hear from these parents of yours," Lia said. "I've watched your family. I see how it is. You're the authority. You're the one I have to go through. I have the chance to do a major magazine spread for my scarves and hats, and Jill was born to do it. What's it going to take to get her? You want a cut of the pay?"**

**I sighed. "It's not about the money. We can't show her face. If you want to put her in a Venetian mask again, then be my guest."**

**Lia scowled. "I can't do that."**

"**Then we're at an impasse."**

"**There must be something. Everyone has a price."**

"**Sorry." There was no price in the world she could offer to get me to shirk my duty to Jill and the Alchemists.**

**A restaurant clerk stuck his head outside and called that our order was ready, mercifully freeing us from Lia.**

"We are free!" Sydney said with a high tone, making Sonya laugh.

**Sonya chuckled as we loaded up on our bags and headed back down the street to make the walk to Adrian's. The sky was still purple with the last of the day's light, and street lamps made whimsical patterns on the sidewalk as they cast their light through the leaves of palm trees.**

"Palm springs. Palm trees. Palm everything" Adrian said, rolling his eyes and gestured to me to continue reading. We ignored his comment about palm.

"**Did you ever imagine your job here would involve dodging aggressive fashion designers?" Sonya asked.**

"No. Not really. I only thought I would be protecting Jill but alot of things happened I didnt know was going to happen but Im glad for it. Cause Im friends with you guys" Sydney said. All of us making cute noice.

"Nawww" We all had said to what Sydney said.

"**No," I admitted. "Honestly, I never foresaw half the stuff this job has—"**

"**Sonya?"**

**A young man appeared seemingly out of nowhere, blocking our path. He was no one I knew and looked to be a little older than me. He wore his black hair in a buzz cut and was staring curiously at Sonya.**

"Who is it? Should I punch the guy?" Rose asked Sonya.

"Someone guy. I dont know where he is so you cant punch him" Sonya answered and sighed.

**She came to a halt and frowned. "Do I know you?"**

**He brightened. "Sure. Jeff Eubanks. Remember?"**

"**No," she said politely, after a few moments of study. "You must have me mistaken for someone else. I'm sorry."**

"**No, no," he said. "I know it's you. Sonya Karp, right? We met in Kentucky last year."**

"You meet the guy while you were.. one of those?" Christian asked. Sonya just shrugged and shock on her shoulders.

**Sonya stiffened. She'd made Kentucky her home while she was a Strigoi. I knew those couldn't be pleasant memories.**

"You're right. Kentucky has alot of unpleasant memories" Sonya said and I stretcted towards and I gave her a little pat on the shoulder.

"**I'm sorry," she repeated, voice strained. "I don't know what you're talking about." The guy was undaunted, still smiling as though they were best friends.**

"We are NOT best friends" Sonya said quickly.

"**You've come a long ways from Kentucky. What brings you out here? I just transferred for work."**

"**There's some mistake," I told him sternly, nudging Sonya forward. I didn't know what that mistake could be exactly, but Sonya's attitude was all I needed.**

"Is my attitude a problem?As I remember I havnt done anything wrong" Sonya asked Sydney.

"No" Sydney simply said. "I didnt write the book"

"**We have to go." The guy didn't follow us, but Sonya remained silent for most of the walk home.**

"**Must be hard," I said, feeling like I should say something. "Meeting people from your past."**

"He is no one from my past" Sonya said.

"Oki doki" Sydney just said.

**She shook her head. "He's not. I'm certain of it. I've never met him." I'd figured she just wanted to avoid all associations with being a Strigoi. "You're sure? He wasn't just some casual acquaintance?"**

**She shot me a wry look. "Strigoi don't have casual acquaintances with humans. They have them for dinner. That guy shouldn't have known who I was."**

"Was he human?" Rose asked Sonya.

"Yes he was. He was not a dhampir. I saw it" Sonya said.

"**He was human? Not dhampir?" I couldn't tell the difference, but Moroi could.**

"**Definitely."**

**Sonya had stopped again and was glancing back at the guy's retreating figure. I followed her gaze. "There must be some reason he recognized you. He seems pretty harmless." That got me another smile. "Come now, Sydney. I figured you'd been around us long enough to know."**

"Know what?" I asked.

"The answer will be in the book" She said and told me to continue reading.

"**Know what?"**

"**Nothing's ever as harmless as it seems."**

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh" Christian said with a dramatic sound. Lissa rolled her eyes.

"Is there something more?" Adrian asked me and I shook my head.

"Noop. Thats the end of the chapter" I said.

"Who wants to read?" I asked and Eddie grabbed the book from me, smiled.

"Me" he said.

**"Chapter 4" **Eddie started to read ...

* * *

Thank you all for the follows and reviews! :D I love when you review. It makes me happy in my heart when I read your reviews :D If you enjoy this and like it, please review and follow :D


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Thank you for all the reviews, as I probably said in earlier chapters I love when you review and follow me, it makes me so happy that people are actually reading my story even if Im not super good at english and I will give a reward for you all, your reward is . . . COOKIES! *throws cookies everywhere*

Now, because Im lazy, I will just write from Sydneys Point Of View because I dont want to change POV all the time so will only write from Sydneys Point Of View now.

And my lovly reviewers, you who doesnt have a account and just comment as I guest, can you maybe get a account on fanfiction so I can throw cookies happily at you? :D

Sorry for not updating since last month? I will try to update more often but I just started school, Im starting ninth grade so I will have alot of homeworks and test and all that boring school stuff but I will write when I have time :)

Sorry for the short / lazy comments at the end. I was really tired and my back and eyes were hurting and my head was hurting to :(

Ps: I just wrote about myself on my profile. Check that out and read it if you want to get to know my crazy life :)

*Throws cookies everywhere once again and runs away*

I do not own Vampire Academy or Bloodlines. All characters included belongs to the amazingly Richelle Mead.

Please. If you are a member here or just a guest that is reading this, please review. Your reviews helps me my courage to continue on this story :)

**Sydney POV**

**SONYA DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING about the mysterious encounter**

"Yeah_MYSTERIOUS_. It's rather woodoo hoodoo chocalaca everywhere" Adrian said with a grin on his face, interuppting Eddies reading of chapter 4.

"What?" Rose asked, confused because of what Adrian had said but she was not he only one being confused but me? I found the thing Adrin said funny, laughing to myself in my thoughts.

"You wont understand if you cant be in the mind of Adrian Ivashkov" He told her, some of us rolled our eyes and Eddie continued reading when we were quiet.

**to the rest of the gang at Adrian's, so I respected her silence.**

"Thank you for your respect" Sonya smiled at me and I smiled back, nodded but didnt say anything so Eddie could continue read the chapter.

**Everyone else was too preoccupied with dinner and the experiments to notice much else. And once they conducted the second wave of experiments, even I grew too distracted to give much thought to the guy on the street.**

**Sonya had said she wanted to see how Eddie and Dimitri responded to direct spirit.**

"How did you do it?" Lissa asked and I could hear the worry in her voice, though I didnt know why there was worry in her voice.

"Did you cut them and heal them?" She asked and now I knew why I knew she was worried but her worry calmed down when Jill almost facepalmed and Sonya, plus Dimitri and Eddie shock their heads.

**This was accomplished by her and Adrian focusing their magic at the dhampirs one at a time.**

"**It's sort of like what we'd do if we were trying to heal them or make something grow," Sonya explained to me. "Don't worry—this isn't going to make them supersized or anything.**

"Awwww" Rose whined, put on a sad expression on her face, looking cute when she did that, she awwww;ed because of the supersizing thing, atleast what I thought and her next sentance corrected me that I was right.

"But I wanted my Comrade to become supersized. Imagine him, my Dimitri supersized like a big giant, many metres tall and his hair so long and soft that you can sleep in it. Even the handsomeness and badass supersized. Out of control" Rose said, her voice sounding happy but then she played dead, closed her eyes and laid down on the sofa with her head on Dimitris lap, stucking her tounge out. Supersized Dimitri thoughts killed her, oh Rose, you will never change.

We all started to laugh because seeing Rose playing dead looked so fun with her eyes closed and tounge stuck out. Eddie laughed so much that he accidently dropped the book but he gently picked it up after he accidently dropped it though still laughing.

Minutes later, after we had secretly taken photos of Rose playing dead, we all had stopped laughing and Rose had woken up from her _death_, Eddie continued to read with a smile on his face.

**It's more like we're coating them with spirit magic. If Dimitri's got some lasting mark from when he was healed, I'd imagine it would react with our magic." She and Adrian coordinated their timing and did Eddie first. Initially, there was nothing to see—just the two spirit users staring at Eddie.**

"It was really scary" Eddie said, watching Sonya and Adrian the most now.

"Them starring at me as if they were brainhead" Eddie acted that he shot himself in the head, once again making us laugh and he got a playful punch on the shoulder by Adrian.

**He looked uncomfortable under the scrutiny.**

**Then, I saw a silvery shimmer run over his body.**

"Oh my gosh" Rose said, her eyes widdened as she stared right infront of her, getting no response from her when Dimitri waved his hand infront of her face but soon a big smile played on her lips.

"Silver!" She shoted, putting her hands in the air and fell back on the couch, laughing and Jill rolled her eyes, leaning closer to me slowly without Rose noticing.

"Hormones" Jill whispered and I rolled my eyes at Rose who now had Dimitris arms around her waist, they looked so cute together, they are just so perfect together.

**I stepped back, amazed—and unnerved—at seeing a physical manifestation of spirit. They repeated the process on Dimitri, with the same results. Apparently, on an unseen level, things were the same too. There was nothing notable about Dimitri's response. All of them took this in stride as part of the scientific process, but seeing that magic actually embrace the two men had creeped me out.**

"Sorry" Sonya and Adrian said to me at the same time and the fact that they said that the same time was creepy, just a tiny creepy.

"Its ok" I smiled at them. "Dont worry"

**As Eddie and I drove back to Amberwood that night, I found myself sitting as far away from him as I could in the car,**

"Afraid of the spirit that they used on me?" Eddie asked.

"Yes. I was afraid because I though the spirit would wander and touch me though I dont think so much about that now" I told him and smiled, he smiled back and continued reading while Sonya once again sent me a look that seemed to say _sorry_.

**as though residual magic might leak over and touch me. He chatted with me in our usual, friendly way, and I had to work hard to hide my feelings. Doing so made me feel guilty. This was Eddie, after all. My friend.**

"yaaay" Eddie exclaimed, smiling childishly and squeled, making me laugh and smile.

"Im your friend!" he said happily and grinned.

**The magic, even if it could've hurt me, was long since gone.**

**A good night of sleep went a long ways to shake both my anxiety and guilt, leaving the magic a distant memory when I woke and prepared for classes the next day. Even though being at Amberwood was an assignment, I'd kind of come to love the elite school.**

"But the sun can be annoying and warm" I muttered, mostly to myself but the others had heard me because they had nodded in agrement.

**I'd been homeschooled before this, and while my dad had certainly taught tough curriculum, he'd never gone beyond what he felt was necessary. Here, even if I surpassed what my classes were learning, there were plenty of teachers ready to encourage me to push farther. I hadn't been allowed to go to college, but this was a nice substitute.**

**Before I could get on to it, I had to chaperone a training session with Eddie and Angeline.**

**Even though he might want to avoid her, he wouldn't—not with Jill's safety on the line. Angeline was part of Jill's defense. I settled down in the grass with a cup of coffee, **

"Coffee once again" Adrian said and rolled his eyes, playfully poking me on the side while smiling at me and oh my gosh, that smile looked so . . handsome and lava melting. I even blushed and luckily Rose didnt see me blush because she was busy with Dimitri, cuddling on one of the sofas but I knew they were listening to Eddie reading even if they didnt look like they listened.

"Jupp coffee"

"Hey Sydney how does Coffee taste?" Jill asked, her eyes curious and I shook my head, didnt want to tell because then she maybe wanted to drink coffee to and coffee could make her hyper or puke and we dont need a hyper or puking Jill and . . the coffee is mine . . MINE!

"It's tastes like . . your butt" I joked and winked. Jill made a disgusted face.

"What tastes like butt?" Abe asked, he hadnt been talking in a while because he had been busy with Guardian Hathaway. Abe saying _butt _sounded funny.

"Sage said coffee tastes like Jailbaits butt" Adrian smiled, trying not to laugh but I could see the edge of his lips twitch.

"How do you know it tastes like Jills butt. Have you been licking Jills butt?" Rose joked and everyone, expect Rose made a disgusted face but me and Jill blushed, that just sounded disgusting. I would never lick Jills butt, that is just stupid. The only butt I want to lick is Adrians beautiful butt.

"Ewww No" I said, laughed uneasy and Jill was just blushing more and more, hiding behind her hair.

"It was a joke Jill" I told Jill, laid a comforting arm around her shoulder and she slowly looked up at me and smiled, nodded and the red in her face started to calm down and Eddie continued to read.

**still wondering if he wasn't just imagining Angeline's interest. I'd recently acquired a one-cup coffee maker for my dorm room, and while it couldn't compare to a coffee shop, it had gotten me through a number of rough mornings. A yawn smothered my greeting as Jill sat down beside me.**

"Sleep" Adrian said, poking at me with his arm. Continuing to say _sleep _while poking me but a easy hit on the arm from Rose made him stop even if I didnt want him to stop. He could keep poking at me if he wanted to but Rose had interupted but poking later, we need to finish this book.

"**Eddie never trains me anymore," she said wistfully, as we watched the spectacle. Eddie was trying to patiently explain to Angeline that headbutting**

"Ha!" Rose exclaimed. "Headbutt. Butthead. Head in butt"

"You're weird Rose" I told her and laughed, she didnt take offense to what I said because she smiled.

"Thank you for the compliment" She told me and I rolled my eyes. Headbutt.

**while suitable in a bar brawl, was not always the best tactic with Strigoi.**

Dimitri nodded in agrement.

"**I'm sure he will if he gets more time," I said, though I wasn't sure at all. Now that he could admit his feelings for Jill to himself, he was nervous about touching her too much. **

"Lalalala dont hear anything" I said and placed my hands over Jills ears, she struggled against me but stopped and just looked up at me with a childish smile. I covered her ears when Eddie readed that from the book because I knew that Eddie didnt want the book to tell Jill his feelings for her. He wanted to tell her his feelings for her himself on a special place and time. e had talked about that on the lunch a while ago.

Eddie continued to read, read until the danger that talked about his feelings was over.

**That, and a chivalrous part of him didn't want Jill risking herself anyway. It was ironic because Jill's fierceness in wanting to learn self-defense (rare in a Moroi) was what had attracted him to her.**

"What are you reading about?!" Jill almost screamed, looking at all of us and I still had my hands covering her ears but I knew the book, my thoughts and all that wasnt going to talk more about his feelings for Jill so I removed my hands from her ears.

Secretly I saw Eddie giving me a smile that was saying _thanks._

"**Angeline was recruited as protection. He's got to make sure she can handle it."**

"**I know. I just feel like everyone's trying to coddle me." She frowned. "In PE, Micah won't let me do anything. After I had all that trouble starting out, he's now paranoid I'll hurt myself. I keep telling him I'm fine, that it was just the sun… but well, he keeps jumping in. It's sweet…**

"Awwww" Rose and Lissa said in union.

**but it drives me crazy sometimes."**

Now Rose and Lissa didnt Awww;ed anymore. They just made a sad face :C

"**I've noticed it," I admitted. I was in the same PE class. "I don't think that's why Eddie won't train you, though. He knows you can do it. He's proud that you can… he just thinks that if he's doing his job, you shouldn't have to learn. Kind of weird logic."**

"Hey!" Eddie exclaimed, eyeing me. "My logic is not weird"

I just rolled my eyes at him and patted him on his shoulder carefully and he rolled his eyes at me.

"**No, I get it." Her earlier dismay shifted to approval as she turned back to the training session.**

"**He's so dedicated… and, well, good at what he does."**

"Thank you Jill" Eddie told Jill while watching her. I could see him smile and her smile to, when I watched him watching Jill I saw his love for Jill in his eyes. He really love her.

"No problem" She smiled at him and I knew she had feelings for him to, they should just hug and make out, out of all the randomness. They need to get together!

"**The knee's an easy way to disable someone," Eddie told Angeline. "Especially if you're caught without a weapon and have to—"**

"and hell has just begun" Eddie sang with mysterious voice, he was a good singer actually, I knew that because one or two weeks ago the whole gang had a karaoke party.

"**When are you going to teach me to stake or decapitate?" she interrupted, hands on her hips. "All the time, it's hit here, dodge this, blah, blah, blah. I need to practice killing Strigoi."**

"**No, you don't."**

"Stubborn as a child" Dimitri sighed and fixed his gaze on Eddie while stroking Rose hands and the look on Rose face showed she liked him stroking her hands.

"You are doing good" Dimitri told Eddie, did a thumb up with his right thumb and smiled a little but lowered his hand a few seconds later.

"Thank you" Eddie smiled.

**Eddie was the picture of patience and back in the determined, ready mode I knew so well. "You're not here to kill Strigoi. Maybe we can practice that at a later time, but right now, your priority is keeping mortal assassins away from Jill. That takes precedence over anything else, even our lives." He glanced over at Jill for emphasis, and there was a flash of admiration in his eyes as he looked at her.**

I knew that Jill heard the last sentance and when I looked at her she had definetly heard it because she still had a small blush on her cheeks and a smile playing on our lips.

"**Seems like decapitation would kill Moroi just the same," Angeline grumbled. "And besides, you did have a Strigoi problem last month."**

I could feel Jill shifting uneasily beside me, the smile was gone from her lips and I knew by looking at her eyes that were now sad that she still remembered what had happened. When Lee had tried to kill me and then Adrian. She had seen Lee dead, lying there on the couch. Jill had at that time liked Lee, very much but now she didnt like him so much when she knew the truth.

"Is okay" I hussed, layed once again a cormforting arm around her, hugging her and patted her back. "It was a long time ago" I whispered and she nodded slowly, the corner of her lips twitching, as if she tried to smile.

"You can continue read now Eddie" I told Eddie, still with my arm around Jill, cormforting.

**Jill shifted uneasily beside me, and even Eddie paused. It was true—he had had to kill two Strigoi recently, back when Adrian's apartment had been Keith's. Lee Donahue had led the Strigoi to us. He was a Moroi who'd once been Strigoi.**

"Sorry" she whispered, snuggling close to me and layd her head against my shoulders and that felt just so adorable with her head on my shoulder.

"I didnt know he was a former Strigoi at first" she said, but not in a whisper this time.

"Its okay Jill. It isnt your fault" Eddie said and smiled slowly to her and she smiled back at him. Oh god, can they just kiss sometime? Everyone can clearly see their love for eachother. I just wanted to grab them and jerk them together and press their heads together.

**After he was returned to his natural state, Lee had wanted desperately to become a Strigoi again. He was the reason we'd learned that those restored by spirit seemed to have some Strigoi resistance. The two Strigoi he'd called to help him had tried to convert him but ended up killing him instead—a better fate than being undead, in my opinion.**

"Being dead is better than being one of them" Sonya said, shuddering and I could see Dimitri shudder to because Dimitri also had been Strigoi once but had been restored by Lissa but Rose was the one who had found him and all of that. Lisssa had just done the staking and restoring.

**Those Strigoi had then turned on the rest of us and inadvertently revealed something unexpected and alarming (if not to them, then to me). My blood was inedible. They'd tried to drink from me and been unable to.**

"Ooooooo... Can I taste?" Rose asked and when she asked that I became . . horrified and my eyes were wide. I just shook my head and covered my throat with my hand.

"God no" I told her and she lust laughed, shook her head.

"I was just kidding Sydney"

"Thank god"

**With all the fallout from that night, no one among the Alchemists or Moroi had paid much attention to that small detail—and I was grateful. I was terrified that one of these days someone would think to put me under a microscope.**

"That would be impossible" Adrian said, trying to sound smart but he just sounded sexy when he talked. So much that I wanted to just throw my arms around him and kiss him, ifront of everyone.

"And why would that be impossible Ivashkov?" Guardian Hathaway asked confused, her face looking confused to and when I looked at her I saw her holding hand with Abe. I just rolled my eyes at them and fixed my gaze on Adrian.

"Because Sydney is human. A microscope is a little machine thingy and its impossible to place her on a microscope." he said and winked at me and I winked back.

"Jajajajaja" Eddie mumbled and then he continued reading. ( ja = yes ) (ja i swedish)

"**That was a fluke," said Eddie at last. "Not one that's likely to happen again. Now watch the way my leg moves, and remember that a Moroi will probably be taller than you." He did a demonstration, and I cast a quick look at Jill. Her face was unreadable. She never talked about Lee, whom she'd dated briefly. Micah had gone a long way to distract her on the romantic front, but having your last boyfriend want to become a bloodthirsty monster couldn't be an easy thing to get over. I had a feeling she was still in pain, even if she did a great job at hiding it.**

Jill didnt say anything. I could see her eyes shine a little bit with tears and when they rolled down her cheeks I quickly wiped away them and she smiled thankfully at me. She was still hurting but only a bit, not so much as back then.

"**You're too rigid," Eddie told Angeline, after several attempts.**

**She completely relaxed her body, almost like a marionette. "So, what? Like this?" He sighed. "No. You still need some tension."**

**Eddie moved behind her and attempted to guide her into position, showing her how to bend her knees and hold her arms.**

"I dont want to hear porn!" Rose screamed and covered her ears and she sang out a song that I remembered as Bring Me To Life. We thought it was so funny that we listened to her singing and then Dimitri had to remove her hands from her ears.

"There is no porn" Eddie told her with a disgusted expression on his face and he looked then back down on the book.

**Angeline took the opportunity to lean back into him and brush her body suggestively against his. My eyes widened. Okay. Maybe he wasn't imagining things.**

"Sounds like something my Roza would do" Dimitri said, earning a _hey!_ and a punch on the arm from Rose but he just laughed and winked at her.

"I wasnt imagining things" Eddie told me, watching me now instead of the book.

"I know. I trust you" I smiled and he smiled, looked back at the book.

"**Hey!" He leapt backwards, a look of horror on his face. "Pay attention! You need to learn this."**

"Pure horrer. Im dead" Eddie said, acted that he shoot himself and played dead with his tounge sticking out but recovered just a few seconds later.

"She shouldnt be like that" Dimitri said. "She needs to learn to protect Jill" Dimitri said.

"But she has gotten better.. atleast a little" Eddie muttered and he continued to read on chapter 4 of the book.

**Her expression was pure angelic innocence.**

"Innocence? Angelic? No. Just . . no." Jill said, crossing her hands and waved with them infront of her.

"She is not Innocence or Angelic though she is wild but can be nice at sometimes" Jill said, she didnt want to talk all bad about Angeline.

"Yeah Sometimes" Eddie muttered, probably thinking about the time Angeline made out with Trey because he made a disgusted face while he continued to read.

"**I am. I'm just trying to use your body to learn what to do with mine."**

"End this madness" Rose groaned, covering her ears once again while humming to a song I didnt recognize.

**So help me, she batted her eyelashes. Eddie moved back even farther.**

"Scared Eddie?" Christian teased, winking at Eddie and laughing and Eddie rolled his eyes at him but shock his head.

"I mmaybe was a little scared but I dont like her that way and I didnt want her to do that. She has to controll herself if that's now possible and train to protect Jill. No distractions" Eddie said but sighed.

**I realized I should probably intervene, no matter what Eddie had said about handling his own problems. An even better savior came when the school's thirty-minute warning bell rang.**

**I jumped up.**

"You jumped up so high that you touched the sky and then fell down and SPLASH!" Christian said, starting to laugh and then making Adrian laugh to. Lissa pulled on Christian ear and he stopped laughing and when I not painful punched Adrian on his shoulder he didnt stop laughing though he did stop laugh when I knocked him on the head and we let Eddie continue read.

"**Hey, we should go if we want to get to breakfast in time. Right now." Angeline gave me a suspicious look. "Don't you usually skip breakfast?"**

"You skip breakfast?" Adrian asked me and I slowly nodded and then he started to poke me again and again but this time while poking me he said _eat _over and over again. My arm even started to sting a little from the place he is poking me at.

"I do take a fruit in the morning and some milk" I admitted and he nodded, satisfied for now and stopped poking me.

"**Yeah, but I'm not the one putting in a hard morning's work. Besides, you still need to change and—wait, you're in your uniform?" I hadn't even noticed. Whenever Eddie and Jill trained, it was always in casual workout clothes—just like he wore now. Angeline had actually come out today in an Amberwood uniform, skirt and blouse, that were showing the wear and tear of a morning's battle.**

"**Yeah, so?" She tucked in her blouse where it had started to come undone. The side of it was smudged with dirt.**

"**You should change," I said.**

"**Nah. This is fine."**

**I wasn't so sure, but at least it was better than the jean shorts.**

"What's wrong with the jean shorts?" Rose asked.

"Showes to much" I answered, gesturing to Eddie to continue read.

**Eddie did leave to put on his uniform and never came back for breakfast. I knew he liked his breakfasts,**

"I love my breakfasts" He said, patting his stomach. "I love my food."

**and since he was a guy, he could change clothes pretty quickly.**

"How do you know that?" Eddie asked, confused.

"Because you guys dont have to change bra and comb your hair and all that stuff" Jill answered for me and we smiled to eachother.

**My guess was he was sacrificing food to stay away from Angeline.**

"Jupp. You were right Sydney" Eddie said and smiled.

**I heard my name called as we entered the cafeteria and caught sight of Kristin Sawyer and Julia Cavendish waving to me.**

"Who are they? Some people that I need to kick in the butt?" Rose asked and grinned.

"No Rose you dont need to kick their butts" I said and sighed. "They are my friends I got when we started there. They have helped me alot" I smiled and imagined Kristin and Julia talking about clothes.

**Aside from Trey, they were the two closest friends I'd made at Amberwood. I still had miles to go in ever being socially savvy, but those two had helped me a lot. And with all the supernatural intrigue my job involved, there was something comforting about being around people who were normal… and, well, human. Even if I couldn't be fully honest with them.**

"**Sydney, we have a fashion question for you,"**

"Really? A fashion question?" Rose asked and snorted but laughed.

"Yes Rose. A fashion question"

"A real fashion question?"

"Yes"

**Julia said. She tossed her blonde hair over one shoulder, her usual sign that what she was about to say was of utmost importance.**

"**A fashion question for me?" **

"no. A fashion question for Satan" Adrian joked and when he saw my little horrified face and he patted my shoulder, smiling slowly.

"Sorry Sage" he said and I smiled back, seeing into those amazingly green eyes but turned away my gaze so no one especially Rose would get a hint about our relationship.

"Its ok" I smiled.

**I was almost ready to glance back and see if maybe there was another Sydney standing behind me. "I don't think anyone's ever asked that."**

"Exactly" Rose grinned.

"**You have really nice clothes," Kristin insisted.**

"But no amazing dresses" Lissa sighed and Adrian both grinned and smile, it looked kinda weird but cute.

"Just wait. I think that that part is in the book when she is wearing a amazing red dress" Adrian told them.

"Red?! Sydney is wearing red?!" Rose almost screamed, shock filled her features and that looked so funny that I did indeed laugh because of how shocked she looked.

"Yes she is" Adrian is proudly. "Our Sage is wearing red"

**She had dark skin and hair, as well as an athletic air that contrasted with Julia's more girly nature. "Too nice, actually. If my mom were ten years younger, cool, and had a lot more money, she'd dress just like you." I didn't know if that was a compliment or not, but Julia didn't give me a chance to ruminate.**

"**Tell her, Kris."**

"**Remember that counseling internship I wanted next semester? I scored an interview," Kristin explained. "I'm trying to decide if I should wear pants and a blazer or a dress."**

"What kind of dress is it?" Sonya asked me.

"Yeah Sydney what dress did she talk about?" Lissa asked right after Sonya.

"I hope it's a sexy dress" Rose said and winked.

"Its a church dress" I told them and their hopes about a sexy dress failed but hey, Kristins church dress was actually beautiful.

"Awww" Rose whined and Lissa whined to like a sad puppy, making puppy dog eyes and I quickly gestured to Eddie to continue read, fast.

**Ah, that explained why they were coming to me. An interview. Anything else they could have pulled from a fashion magazine. And while I could admit that I probably was the authority on such practical matters… well, I was kind of disappointed that was what I'd been summoned for.**

"You want to try out dresses Sydney?" Asked Rose evily.

"Yes Sydney you want to try out our dresses?" Lissa said evily to.

"No!" I said quickly, pressing my back to the sofa and they laughed.

"**What color are they?"**

"**The blazer's red, and the dress is navy."**

**I studied Kristin, taking in her features. On her wrist was a scar, the remnant of an insidious tattoo I'd helped remove, back when Keith's shady tattoo ring had run rampant. "Do the dress. Wait… is it a dress you'd wear to church or to a nightclub?"**

"Church" Rose answered to book me, her voice was unhappy because it had not been a party dress.

"**Church," she said, not sounding happy about it.**

"Even your friendd is unhappy about it being a church dress. Everyone just loves party dresses" Rose said, more happy voice now and high fived with Lissa all randomly.

"**Dress for sure then," I said.**

**Kristin flashed a triumphant look at Julia. "See? I told you that's what she'd say." Julia looked doubtful. "The blazer's more fun. It's bright red."**

"**Yeah, but 'fun' isn't usually what you want to portray at an interview," I pointed out. It was hard to keep a straight face with their banter. "At least not for this kind of job." Julia still didn't seem convinced, but she also didn't try to talk Kristin out of my sound fashion advice. A few moments later, Julia perked up. "Hey, is it true Trey set you up with some guy?"**

"He have done what?!" Rose almost screamed and she squeled to, that was the first time I had heard and seen her squel and it actually looked adorable and she was jumping up and down so Dimitri had to hold her down while I explained.

"No Rose he havnt . . atleast yet" I said and she squeled once again when I said _yet_.

"What guy?!" She screamed excited and watched me with excited and happy eyes.

"That will the book explain" I said and winked, just to tease her and she made a sad smile.

"Awww no fun" she mumbled and crossed her arms.

"**I… what? No. Where'd you hear that?" Like I had to ask. She'd undoubtedly heard it from Trey himself.**

"**Trey said he'd talked to you about it," said Kristin. "How this guy's perfect for you."**

"This is going to be so fun. I have to meet this guy later after the book" Rose said, excited. As Jill said earlier, _hormones, alot of them_, makes Rose go crazy as if she wasnt already crazy.

"**It's a great idea, Syd," said Julia, face as serious as if we were discussing a life or death matter. **

"It is a moment of life or death" Rose admitted, excited.

"**It'd be good for you. I mean, since school started, I've gone out with…" She paused and silently counted out names on her fingers. "… four guys. You know how many you've gone out with?" She held up a fist. "That many."**

That made all in the room laugh even Adrian but I was not laughing. I just sighed and waited for them to stop laugh and when they finally stopped laughing they all smiled.

"You just got burned Sydney" Rose teased. "But it will be one when you get out with that guy"

"Yah yeah yeah ... Eddie continue read"

"**I don't need to go out with anyone," I argued. "I have enough complications already. I'm pretty sure that would add more."**

"**What complications?" laughed Kristin. "Your awesome grades, killer body, and perfect hair? I mean, okay, your family's a little out there, but come on, everyone has time for a date now and then—or lots, in Julia's case."**

"**Hey," said Julia, though she didn't deny the charge.**

**Kristin pushed forward, making me think she was more suited to a legal internship than a counseling one. "Skip homework for once. Give this guy a shot, and we can all go out together sometime. It'd be fun."**

**I gave them a forced smile and murmured something noncommittal.**

"What did you murmure?" Jill asked me.

"Something" I murmured and smiled just a little.

**Everyone has time for a date now and then.**

"Exactly" Rose agreed to my thought.

**Everyone but me, of course.**

"awwww" Rose said

**I felt a surprising pang of longing, not for a date but just for social interaction. Kristin and Julia went out a lot with a larger group of friends and love interests and often invited me on their outings. They thought my reticence was because of homework or, perhaps, no suitable guy to go with me. I wished it were that simple, and suddenly, it was as though there was a huge chasm separating me from Kristin and Julia.**

**I was their friend, and they had welcomed me to every part of their lives. Meanwhile, I was full of secrets and half truths. Part of me wished I could be open with them and able to confide all the woes of my Alchemist life.**

"You cant tell them" Abe told me, his voice sounding serious.

"I know" I murmured sadly.

**Heck, part of me just wished I really could go on one of these outings and let go of my duties for a night. It would never work, of course. We'd be out at a movie, and I'd probably get texted to come cover up a Strigoi slaying.**

"Probably me that stakes Strigoi so you have to cover up" Rose said and I nodded slowly, I had covered up many of her Strigoi Slayings so I was used to that.

**This mood wasn't uncommon for me, and it began lightening as I started my school day. I fell into the rhythm of my schedule, comfortable in its familiarity. Teachers always assigned the most work over weekends, and I was pleased to be able to turn in all that I'd done on my plane rides. Unfortunately, my last class of the day derailed all the progress of my mood. **

"Why?" Lissa asked me.

"You'll see" I said and I knew that now me practicing magic and all that stuff would be revealed.

**Actually, class wasn't the right word.**

"huh?"

**It was an independent study I had with my history teacher, Ms. Terwilliger.**

**Ms. Terwilliger had recently revealed herself to be a magic user, a witch of sorts or whatever those people referred to themselves as.**

"What?!" Rose, Lissa,Sonya, Eddie and Christian almost screamed out. Guardian Hathaway, Abe and Dimitri were shocked but they didnt say anything like Rose and the others had, they didnt scream out.

"She's a witch?" Lissa asked, confused and shocked but she was most shocked. Everyone was shocked expect me of course, Adrian and Jill. Jil knew because of the bond she have with Adrian.

"But that's impossible" Rose asked, she sounded more confused than shocked.

"Yes" I sighed and placed my arms around me, I had to tell them now to them but soon . . it will be revealded, just wait a few sentances.

**Alchemists had heard rumors of them, but it was nothing we had a lot of experience with or facts about. To our knowledge, only Moroi wielded magic.**

"And that's the way it should stay" Christian said, crossing his arms over his chest.

**We utilized it in our lily tattoos—which had trace amounts of vampire blood—but the thought of humans producing it in the same way was crazy and twisted.**

"Your right" Rose agreed. "It's crazy and twisted. Humans . . witches whatever shouldnt do that. It's breaking the magic laws bla bla"

**That was why it was such a surprise when Ms. Terwilliger not only revealed herself to me last month but also ended up kind of tricking me into wielding a spell.**

"You did what?!" Rose, Lissa, Christian and Eddie screamed once again but this time they screamed directly at me and that hurt my ears.

"Ouch. Dont scream" I told them and they stopped though they stared at me with wide eyes, the others was shocked to and they also stared at me but they didnt say anything.

"Please just continue read the book Eddie. The book will surely explain" I said to Eddie and he nodded slowly and he started to read slowly to.

**It had left me shocked and even feeling dirty. Magic was not for humans to use**

"Exactly" Rose stated, still watching me instead of the book. "Sydney did you really do a spell?" She asked me and I nodded slowly.

"What kind of spell was it?" she asked and now she sounded excited. What was happening to her? Hormones having a war inside of her body?

"A fire spell" And when I said fire, Christian started to look excited to and they watched me as excited kids. How adorable.

**We had no right to manipulate the world like that; it was a hundred times worse than what Sonya had done to the red lily on the street. Ms. Terwilliger insisted I had a natural affinity for magic and had offered to train me.**

"You have magic? Train you? Sydney Magic? Oh my gosh!" Rose screamed and squeled, I covered my ears because them screaming had started to hurt my ears a little, yet.

"You can do magic? You're a witch?" She screamed shocked, even if I overed my ears I could still hear her voice. I sighed and removed my hands from my ears and nodded.

"Yes. I know it sounds crazy but apparently Im a witch. I know I was shocked to . . and afraid" I told all of them and held my hands infront of me and Rose watched me once again confused when I held my hands infront of me.

"What are you going to do?" Abe asked, he wasnt so much shocked, he was more curious now but he had been shocked.

"Just watch" I said and smiled a little. I concentrated on my magic and soon there was a blue fireball in my hand. Blue fire was more powerful than regular red fire and Christian was the first one to scream, not in fear but in excitement.

"That's just so cool!" he said, the smile that had formed on his lips was wide as he stared at me and the blue fireball. He gently sat down on the floor infront of me and carefully touched the blue fireball. The fireball didnt burn him because he was a fire user.

"Can I have it? Please please please?" He asked, sounding like a excited child waiting for Christmas.

I just shrugged and nodded, giving him the blue fireball so he was holding it in his hands and he started to play with it but it disappeared after awhile and he pouted in disappointment.

"Can we continue read now?" I asked and all of them nodded slowly, that looked creepy when all of them did that and Christian standed up and sat down beside Lissa, hugging her and cuddling her.

"Yes but we talk about this later after the book" Eddie said and picked up the book he had accidently had dropped. He once again continued to read but they still looked at me then and then with curiosity.

**Why she wanted this, exactly, I wasn't sure. She'd gone on and on about the potential I had, but I could hardly believe she'd want to train me without a reason of her own. I hadn't figured out what that might be, but it didn't matter. I'd refused her offer. So, she'd found a workaround.**

"How?" Rose asked.

"Reading" I murmured and smiled a little.

"**Miss Melbourne, how much longer do you think you'll be on the Kimball book?" she called from her desk. Trey had picked up "Melbourne" from her, but unlike him, she seemed to constantly forget that wasn't my actual name.**

"Its Melrose. Not Melbourne but it sounds funny. Melbourne" Eddie said, figuring about the rd and winked at me when he called me Melbourne and I groaned.

**She was in her forties, with mousy brown hair and a perpetually cunning glint in her eyes.**

**I looked up from my work, forcing politeness. "Two more days. Three at most."**

"**Make sure to translate all three of the sleep of spells," she said. "Each has its own nuances."**

"Sleeping Spells?" Guardian Hathaway asked confused and I nodded.

"Yeah" I said, laughed nervously.

"**There are four sleep spells in this book," I corrected.**

"**Are there?" she asked innocently. "I'm glad to see they're making an impression."**

Adrian held down a laugh, or atleast tried but I caught him and ruffled his nice styled hair and his face turned into pure horror.

"No my hair!" he screamed and tried to fix it to the style he had before I messed it up, he tried to fix it with his fingers but that made him just adorable.

"That was beause of you laughing at me" I whispered to me and grinned, he smiled back at me.

**I hid a scowl. Having me copy and translate spell books for research was how she taught me. I couldn't help but learn the texts as I read them. **

"Smart teacher you have there Sydney" Abe told me and I groaned. It was actually kind of smart the way she made me learn the texts and spells because I often remembered everything I read and learn.

"Yeah. Now that I think of it, it was actually smart" I smiled.

**I hated that I'd been ensnared, but it was too late in the school year to transfer out. Besides, I could hardly complain to the administration that I was being forced to learn magic.**

"That would just sound weird if you said that to them" Jill said, snuggling close to me and resting her head on my shoulder and because of that I earnt a glance from Lissa that looked like jealousy.

**So, I dutifully copied her spell books and spoke as little as possible during our time together.**

"You're always dutifully. Doing your homeworks and stuff" Adrian winked at me and smiled and I couldnt help but smile back at him.

**Meanwhile, I simmered with resentment. She was well aware of my discomfort **

Ehlymana. If you see this, write ´#TysFace #TysFoot´ in your review ;D

**but made no attempts to alleviate the tension, leaving us in a stalemate. Only one thing brightened those sessions.**

"**Look at that. It's been nearly two hours since my last cappuccino. It's a wonder I can function. Would you be kind enough to run to Spencer's? That should finish us out for the day." The last bell had rung fifteen minutes ago, but I'd been putting in some overtime.**

"You should quiet when you are going to quit. You could have spend time with us instead for working over 15 minutes" Jill murmured and I coud see her gaze was looked on Eddie while he was reading. Eddie hadnt even noticed Jill watching him but when he looked at Jill she quickly turned away her sight from him.

"And you both like coffee" she whispered in my ear and that made me smile.

**I was already closing the spell book before she finished speaking. When I'd begun as her assistant, I'd resented the constant errands. Now, I looked forward to the escape. Not to mention my own caffeine fix.**

"You're drinking coffee as if you would die if you didnt drink it" Adrian said and playfully nudged me on the shoulder, the shoulder Jill didnt have her head resting on.

"But coffee is my life" I winked and blinked at him.

**When I reached the coffee shop, I found Trey was just starting his shift, which was great—not just because he was a friendly face, but because it meant discounts. He began making my order before I even placed it since he knew the drill by now. Another barista offered to help,**

"Who is it?" Rose asked, her voice once again sounding excited because probably she guessed that it was the guy Trey wanted to set me up with. Oh, she has so right about that if she now thinks that.

"_The Guy_" I said, making my voice sounding mysterious when I said that and Rose squeled in excitement.

**and Trey gave him meticulous instructions on what to do.**

"**Skinny vanilla latte," said Trey, grabbing the caramel for Ms. Terwilliger's cappuccino.**

"**That's sugar-free syrup and skim. Don't mess it up. She can sniff out sugar and 2% milk a mile away."**

"True story" I said and laughed. Once I had accidently taken someone else coffee with sugar and milk in it and didnt notice it until when I was back at Amberwood and she had me drive back and buy a new one though she gave me this time the money for it because of my mix up.

**I suppressed a smile. Maybe I couldn't reveal Alchemist secrets to my friends, but it was nice to know they at least knew my coffee preferences backwards and forwards.**

**The other barista, who looked to be our age, gave Trey a droll look. "I'm well aware of what skinny means."**

"Then he should be aware of Sydney being skinny if he has seen her without her shirt" Rose said and I blushed. Brayden hadnt seen me without my shirt. Adrian was the only one that had seen my without my shirt.

"He hasnt seen me without my shirt" I said and she sighed in disappointment.

"**Nice attention to detail," I teased Trey. "I didn't know you cared."**

"**Hey, I live to serve," he said. "Besides, I need your help tonight with that lab write-up from chem. You always find things I miss."**

"Of course she does. She's Sydney. The smartest human being we ever known" Adrian said.

"Thank you for the compliment" I thanked him and smiled because I knew it had been an compliment when he had said that.

"**It's due tomorrow," I chastised. "You had two weeks. I'm guessing you didn't get much done in your cheerleader study session."**

Rose shuddered when Eddie readed that though I dont knew. Maybe she was thinking dirty things about that cheerleader study session she didnt know about until now.

"**Yeah, yeah. Will you help me out? I'll even go to your campus."**

"**I'll be up late with a study group—a real one." **

"You dont need a study group Sage. Your already smart" He once again complimented me and I once again thanked him.

**The opposite sex was banned from our dorms after a certain hour. "I could meet you on Central Campus afterward if you want."**

"**How many campuses does your school have?" asked the other barista, setting down my latte.**

"Latte. Just like your car. Your going to drink your car" Christian tried to joke but no one laughed but he earned a few funny smiles and one of them were from me.

"**Three." I reached eagerly for the coffee. "Like Gaul."**

"Like what?" Everyone in the room asked and I nearly facepalmed litteraly and sighed.

"Its a joke. A latin joke" I explained to them and they nodded a little confused.

"**Like what?" asked Trey.**

"Yeah exactly. Like what?" Rose asked and I sighed, gestured to her that I will tell later.

"**Sorry," I said. "Latin joke."**

"**Omnia Gallia in tres partes divisa est," said the barista.**

"God your guy talks . . language" Rose teased and smiled wide at me.

**I jerked my head up. Not much could have distracted me from coffee, but hearing Julius Caesar quoted at Spencer's certainly did.**

"The world is ending!" Adrian screamed and out of the blue he picked me up and ran out of the room. When we were out of the room we did indeed kiss and makeout. His lips hungriy on mine and my lips responding to his. His arms around my waist, his hands stroking my back and our bodies pressed together. It was just perfect but minutes later he once again carried my in my arms. I had to act like nothing had happened and when we went into the room I was struggling in his arms and hearing him laugh made my heart melt.

"Rose help me" I laughed and she did help me get away from Adrian though I didnt want to get away from him and his lava melting hotness.

When we once was settled again, Eddie continued to read as if nothing had happened and I saw smiling at us, she knew we had done and I secretly hushed her while in the corner of my eye I was Rose watching us.

"**You know Latin?" I asked.**

"**Sure," he said. "Who doesn't?"**

"Like . . Only the rest of the world" Rose said and I almost laughed, that was exactly what Trey had said.

**Trey rolled his eyes. "Only the rest of the world," he muttered.**

Rose eyes widdened and I laughed, winked playfully at her.

"**Especially classical Latin," continued the barista. "I mean, it's pretty remedial compared to Medieval Latin."**

"**Obviously," I said. "Everyone knows that. All the rules became chaotic in the post-Empire decentralization."**

"I dont even know what you are talking about but it sounds really weird" Rose said, Lissa and Christian nodded in agrement.

**He nodded agreement. "Although, if you compare it to the Romance languages, the rules start to make sense when you read them as part of the larger picture of the language's evolution."**

"**This," interrupted Trey, "is the most messed-up thing I've ever seen. And the most beautiful.**

**Sydney, this is Brayden. Brayden, Sydney." **

"So that is your guy special name. I will pay him a visit after the book" She smiled, a little evily but the evily from her smile faded away.

**Trey rarely used my first name, so that was weird, but not nearly as weird as the exaggerated wink he gave me.**

"Sydney doesnt suspect a thing" Christian winked and Lissa laughed, I frowned and stuck my tongue at them.

**I shook Brayden's hand. "Nice to meet you."**

"**You too," he said. "You're a Classics fan, huh?" He paused, giving me a long, considering look. "Did you see the Park Theatre Group's production of Antony and Cleopatra this summer?"**

"Did you see the what now?" Guardian Hathaway asked. God. These peope should get out sometime and watch some culture.

"Something" I sighed.

"**No. Didn't even know they performed it." I suddenly felt kind of lame for not having known that, as though I should be up on all arts and culture events in the greater Palm Springs area.**

**I added by way of explanation, "I only moved here a month ago."**

"**I think they have a couple performances left in the season." Brayden hesitated once more. "I'd see it again if you wanted to go.**

"Oh my gosh!" Rose squeled, cuped her own cheeks and pouted and smiled wide at me, almost bunching up and down again.

"Plese tell me you said yes!" she kind of screamed and sighed, nodded and she once gain squeled.

**Though I'll warn you—it's one of those reinterpreted Shakespeare productions. Modern clothes."**

"**I don't mind. That kind of reinterpretation is what makes Shakespeare timeless." The words rolled automatically off my lips. As they did, I suddenly had one of those epiphany moments where I realized there was more going on than I'd initially thought. I replayed Brayden's words. Between that and Trey's enormous grin, I soon had a startling realization. This was the guy Trey had been telling me about. My "soul mate." And he was asking me out.**

"Finally you noticed" Squeled Rose and she snuggled close to Dimitri and strok him over the hair as if she had noting else than comment about this book and my life.

"**This is a great idea," said Trey. "You kids**

"Im not a kid" I murmured. "Im a gron up woman" I whispered to myself but I still knew the others had heard me.

**should totally go see that play. Make a whole day of it. Grab some dinner and hang out at the library or whatever it is you do for fun." Brayden met my eyes. His were hazel, almost like Eddie's but with a little green. Not as much green as Adrian's, of course. No one's eyes were that amazingly green.**

I blushed a little and when I looked at Rose she was watching me suspicious but when I watched Adrian he was smiling, he was smiling a beautiful wide smile with those perfect lips I so want to kiss over and over again.

"Thank you for the compliment. About my eyes" He said, winked and I smiled.

"Your welcome."

**Brayden's brown hair occasionally picked up glints of gold in the light and was cut in a no-nonsense way that showed off the angles of his cheekbones. I had to admit, he was pretty cute. **

Rose squeled and made a happy dance, that looked weird but adorable and when she had calmed down for the moment Eddie continued to read.

"**They perform Thursday through Sunday," he said. "I've got a debate tournament over the weekend…**

**could you do it Thursday night?"**

"**I…" Could I?**

"Yes you can!" Rose screamed and Dimitri got hold of her incase if she would start jump up and down and go crazy.

"Please say yes. You need some dating in your life" Christian commented and Lissa nodded in agrement.

**There was nothing planned, so far as I knew. About twice a week, I took Jill to the home of Clarence Donahue, an old Moroi who had a feeder. Thursday wasn't a scheduled feeding night, though, and technically I wasn't obligated to go to experiment nights.**

"**Of course she's free," Trey jumped in before I could even answer. "Right, Sydney?"**

"**Yes," I said, shooting him a look. "I'm free."**

"Yaay!" Rose exclaimed and jumped out of Dimitris grip, rushed forward to me and hugged me tightly, making it hard to me to breath.

"Rose. Let go. Cant . . breath" I almost whispered and she let go of me, smiling at me proudy.

"Im just so proud of you. Finally you got a date. I knew this already have happened but still it's so amazing" She squeled and went back to the sofa she sat in beside Dimitri.

**There was nothing planned, so far as I knew. About twice a week, I took Jill to the home of Clarence Donahue, an old Moroi who had a feeder. Thursday wasn't a scheduled feeding night, though, and technically I wasn't obligated to go to experiment nights.**

"**Of course she's free," Trey jumped in before I could even answer. "Right, Sydney?"**

"**Yes," I said, shooting him a look. "I'm free."**

"Yes!" Rose screamed and squeled in exitment and I rolled my eyes at her, earning a _what?_ from her but I ignored it.

**Brayden smiled. I smiled back. Nervous silence fell. He seemed as unsure as I was about how to proceed. I would have thought it was cute, if I wasn't so worried that I looked ridiculous.**

**Trey elbowed him sharply. "This is the part where you ask for her number."**

"Yeah Brayden. Give Sydney your number" Rose said to book Brayden.

**Brayden nodded, though he didn't look like he appreciated the elbowing. "Right, right." He pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. "Is it Sydney with a y or i?"**

"Its y. S_Y_dney" Lissa said to book Brayden.

**Trey rolled his eyes. "What?**

**I'm guessing the former, but as naming conventions become increasingly untraditional, you never know. I just want to get it right in my phone."**

"**I would have done the same thing," I agreed. I then told him my phone number.**

"Aww that's so cute" Jill said and smiled. "You doing same things" She said and squeled and Jills squel was so adorable.

**He looked up and smiled at me. "Great. I'm looking forward to it."**

"**Me too," I said, and actually meant it.**

**I left Spencer's in a daze. I had a date. How on earth did I have a date?**

"Well.. he asked you out . . kind of and you accepted with someone that seems just like you. A smart guy" Rose smiled in excitement.

**Trey hurried out to me a few moments later, catching me as I was unlocking my car. He still wore his barista apron. "Well?" he asked. "Was I right, or was I right?"**

"**About what?" I asked, though I had a feeling I knew what was coming.**

"**About Brayden being your soul mate."**

"He is definetly your soul mate. I agree with Trey about him being you soulmate" Rose said and smiled but then she grinned.

"Have you kissed yet?" she asked and I said nothing.

"The book will tell that" I just said.

"Awww"

"**I told you—"**

"**I know, I know. You don't believe in soul mates. Still," he grinned, "if that guy isn't perfect for you, then I don't know who is."**

"**Well, we'll see." I balanced Ms. Terwilliger's cup on top of the car, so I could drink from my own. "Of course, he doesn't like modern Shakespearean interpretations, so that might be a deal breaker."**

"Seriously?" Rose asked.

**Trey stared at me in disbelief. "Seriously?"**

"Wow. Now your the one alike someone" I teased and she stuck her tounge out at me and both of us laughed.

"**No," I said, giving him a look. "I'm kidding. Well, maybe." The latte Brayden had made me was pretty good, so I was willing to give him the benefit of a doubt on the Shakespeare thing.**

"**Why do you care so much about my romantic life anyway?" **

"Ooooo.. he maybe is interested in you" Rose teased and Lissa laughed and I saw her roll her eyes and I shook my head at them.

"No he isnt" I said.

**Trey shrugged and stuffed his hands into his pockets. Already, beads of sweat were forming on his tanned skin from the late afternoon sun. "I don't know. I guess I feel like I owe you for everything that went down with the tattoos. That and all your homework help."**

"**You don't really need my help with that. And the tattoos…" I frowned, as an image of Keith beating on the glass flashed through my mind.**

I stiffened when I remembered that to and shuddered and Jill hugged me to comfort me and it helped so I smiled as a thank to her.

**Keith's vampire blood ring had resulted in high-inducing tattoos that had wreaked havoc on Amberwood. Trey, of course, didn't know about my personal interest in the matter. He just knew I'd gotten rid of those who were using the tattoos to unfair advantage in sports. "I did it because it was the right thing to do."**

"It was the right thing to do" Adrian said and smiled and I smiled back at him, patting his shoulder.

"Without you I wouldnt be able to bust them so thank you" I smiled and he patted me back but on my head as a _your welcome._

**That made him smile. "Of course. Still, it's saved me a lot of grief with my dad."**

"**I should hope so. You don't have any competition on the team now. What more could your dad want?"**

"**Oh, there's always something else he thinks I could be the best at. It's not just football." Trey had hinted at that before.**

"**I know what that's like," I said, thinking of my own father. A moment of silence fell between us.**

And a moment of silence fell across the room so Eddie continued to read when no one said anything.

"**It doesn't help that my perfect cousin's coming into town soon," he said finally. "Makes everything I do look completely lame. You got a cousin like that?"**

"**Er, not really." Most of my cousins were on my mom's side, and my dad tended to shy away from her family.**

"**You probably are the perfect cousin,"**

"She's perfect alright" Adrian whispered and because I sat beside him I heard him say that and smiled though Rose didnt hear it.

**Trey grumbled. "Anyway, yeah, there're always these expectations in the family… always these tests. Football's given me some respectability for now." He winked at me. "That and my awesome chem grade." That last comment wasn't lost on me. "Fine. I'll text you when I get back tonight. We'll make it happen."**

"**Thanks. And I'll give Brayden a talking-to so he doesn't try anything on Thursday." My mind was still full of Latin and Shakespeare. "Try what?"**

"God Sydney you are so funny" Jill giggled and smiled.

**Trey shook his head. "Honestly, Melbourne, I don't know how you've survived this long in the world without me."**

"**Oh," I said, blushing. "That." Great. Now I had something else to worry about.**

"Worrying about you know what" Rose teased and laughed evily all out of the blue.

**Trey scoffed. "Between you and me, Brayden's probably the last guy in the world you have to worry about. I think he's as clueless as you are. If I didn't care about your virtue so much, I'd actually probably give him a lecture on how to try something."**

That made some of us in the room laugh, even Jill giggled a little and her giggle was adorable, it sounded so cute when she giggled.

"**Well, thanks for keeping my best interests at heart," I said dryly. "I always wanted a brother to watch out for me."**

**He studied me curiously. "Don't you have, like, three brothers?" Oh no.**

"Oh you messed up" Dimitri said and sighed.

"**Er, I meant figuratively." I tried not to panic. I rarely slipped up on our background story.**

**Eddie, Adrian, and Keith had all been passed off as my brothers at some point. "None of them are really that concerned about my dating life.**

"Hey! We do care about your dating life! We dont you go out with a crazy guy" Eddie said, his voice sounding caring, that he actually cared about my dating life so I trusted him.

"I know. I had to get up with a cover story" I said, smiling slowly.

**What I'm concerned about, though, is getting into air conditioning." I opened my car door, and a wave of heat rolled out. "I'll talk to you tonight and help you with the lab."**

**Trey nodded, looking like he wanted to get back inside as well. "And I'll help you if you have any more questions about dating."**

"She has us if she needs questions about dating" Rose said.

**I hoped my scathing look told him my opinion on that, but once he was gone and I was blasting the car's air conditioning, my arrogance faded. Anxiety took its place. The question I'd asked myself earlier repeated in my head.**

**How on earth was I going to get through this date alive?**

"Well . . dont die and you will stay alive" Jill murmured and looked at Eddie that had stopped reading.

"Is the chapter over?" she asked and he nodded, stretching out with his arms and legs.

"Yes. Who wants to read now?" Eddie asked, looking around the room.

"I can" Dimitri said and took the book gently away from Eddie and went to next page there Chapter 5 started.

**"Chapter 5"** He started to read . . .

I know. Lazy endind with lazy comments xD I need my sleep and a pill for my hurting head xD


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Ehlymana: Hehe, your so funny my Ehlymana, not drinking soda crazy girl :3

TheDauntless: Thank you :3

guest 1: :3

guest 2: When Im done with ´Reading The Golden Lily´ I will do a ´Reading The Indigo Spell Reading´ ;D

guest 3: Hint hint to you to ;)

I do not own Vampire Academy or The Bloodlines Series. VA and Bloodlines belongs to Richelle Mead.

So sorry for my english and tiredness :( x)

**Sydney POV**

**"WORD OF MY UPCOMING DATE spread fast." **Dimitri started to read and immediately when he started to read my sight directly fell on Eddie and he didnt notice me watching me after just a few seconds later and he held his hands up in the air in defense and I rolled my eyes at him.

"I didnt do anything" he said innocently, atleast his voice sounded innocently but he had been the one to tell Micah and then Micah told Jill and Jill told Adrian and so on.

"Yes you did. You told Micah and then Micah told Jill and then Jill told Adrian" I said, stucking my tounge out playfully at him and when I did that with my tounge Adrian gave a small laugh that could melt my heart.

"Guilty" He laughed and when he laughed I laughed and when I laughed Adrian started to laugh and when our laughing session was over Dimitri continued to read. There was more laughing moments to come.

**I could only presume Trey had told Kristin and Julia, who had in turn told Jill and Eddie and God only knew who else….**

"You were right" Eddie winked and I once again rolled my eyes at him wich made Jill also roll her eyes but she rolled her eyes at both of us, that was just so adorable.

**So, I shouldn't have been surprised when I got a call from Adrian just after dinner. He started talking before I could even say hello.**

"That was rude Adrian. Not letting her say hello" Rose said to MY Adrian and playfully punching him on the shoulder when she stretched out to him.

While that happened Dimitri and I exchanged a look, we knew both that Rose and Adrian was now good friends but it had taken awhile for them to become friends once again after Rose had dumped Adrian for Dimitri.

I knew that Adrian didnt love Rose anymore, he just liked her as a friend now and sometimes both of them can be adorable together because if Adrian takes a bottle up even if it's alcohol or water or juice, Rose will take his drink and drink it herself. They are like children when they play together, always messing around with eachother.

"**Really, Sage? A date?"**

"When you say that you make it sound mean. As if you wouldnt believe that she had gotten a date" Guardian Hathaway said to Adrian who just shrugged his shoulders and he layd his arm around my shoulders.

"I was just shocked our Sage had finally become a grown up woman. Finally gotten a date" he said and I blushed, I couldnt help itand I slowly removed his arm from my shoulders though I wanted to keep his arm around my shoulders.

"I have been grown up woman" I said, crossing my arms over my chest while watching him.

"To me you will always be our little alchemist" Adrian winked at me and I had to resist the feeling to tackle him to the ground because my whole body right now just wanted to kiss him until we were breathless and Adrian made it hard to control my feelings for him while in public when he winks at me and says those stuff. I just want to kiss him so badly.

**I sighed. "Yes, Adrian. A date."**

"Do I need to punish him?" Guess who said that? Rose. Her voice was sounding protectivly (?) when she said that and I groaned, almost facepalmed. Rose was being very protectivly this time of year.

"No" I said, shaking my head and smiling slowly.

"**A real date. Not, like, doing homework together," he added.**

"Stubborn Adrian" I sighed and he raised his eyebrow at me and in return I raised his eyebrow at him but our raising eyebrow moment was interupted by Rose of course because she was the only one in this room who couldnt raise a eyebrow.

"Stop that" She said, trying to raise one eyebrow but it resulted in raising both her eyebrows. "Its not fair" she muttered, crossing her arms infront of her chest just like I had.

"You will able to do it one day" I heard Dimitri whisper in Rose ear and I saw her smile and you want to know what happened next? They started to kiss each other, first it was just slow kisses but it turned soon into more heated kisses with their tounges in each others mouth.

We didnt want to let them do that because we dont want them being naked in front of us. Atleast I though everyone didnt want to see this, everyone looked uncomfortable now with Rose and Dimitri making out.

I sighed and summoned a water ball in my hands. Everyone started to watch me with curiosity in their eyes when I summoned the water ball and then I threw the water ball right at them and they directly bolted away from each other. It had been a small waterball I had summoned so only a small part of their clothes were wet.

We all started to laugh of course because they looked so hilarious when they glared at me but after one short moment after that we calmed down with our laughing. I apologized to them and Dimitri continued to read.

"**I mean like where you go out to a movie or something. And a movie that's not part of a school assignment. Or about something boring."**

"Well . . you were going to something boring so . . one point to me and zero points to Sage!" Adrian said in triumph and the rest of us sayd nothing, we just rolled our eyes at him and I made a ´tumbs up´ to him, just to cheer him up.

"**A real date." I figured I wouldn't give him the specifics on the Shakespeare play.**

Adrian placed two fingers on one side of his head and then he pretended that he shoot himself in the head and his eyes closed when he did that, he rested his head against my shoulder and he was stucking his tounge out, pretending to be dead but just a few seconds later he ´woke up from death´ just so Dimitri could continue to read and removed his head from my shoulder even if I wanted to keep his head on my shoulder.

"**What's the lucky guy's name?"**

"**Brayden."**

**There was a pause.**

"Did you ´kill´ him once again?" Christian teased, earning a punch on the arm from Lissa and Rose on each arm and a teasing grin from me. He just wined like a puppu, whined in defeat but he then laughed, earning a kiss from Lissa but they only kissed for a few seconds because I could see on their faces that they didnt want to get a waterball splashed on them from me and mixing fire ( aka Christian ) with water is a bad idea.

**There was a pause. "Brayden? That's his real name?"**

"**Why are you asking if everything's real? You think I'd make any of this up?"**

"**No, no," Adrian assured me. "That's what's so unbelievable about it. Is he cute?" **

"He's cute but Adrian and Eddie and everyone that is a boy in this room is much cuter" Jill admitted and saying that was a bad idea I realized after she spoke that sentance and I think Rose also though that was a bad idea saying that because after Jill had said that Abe spoke with a grin on his face.

"Im cute" Abe said, smiling and Rose facepalmed, I wanted to facepalm to but I didnt want to make Abe mad.

"No your not" Rose said, watching her dad that had his arm around Guardian Hathaways shoulders.

"Yes I am. Jill said every boy in this room is cute"

"You're a old man. Not a boy" Rose said to her dad and she playfully wicked smile at him and secretly I gave a thumbs up to Rose when Abe didnt see.

**I glanced at the clock. It was time for me to meet my study group. "Gee, maybe I should just send you a picture to review?"**

"Did you send a picture of him to Adrian?" Lissa asked me and I shook my head. I hadnt sent one to him because I didnt have a picture of Brayden. Even if I had a picture of him, I wouldnt.

"**Yes, please. And a full background check and life history."**

"That would just be an invasion on his private life" I said, shaking my head at the book, sighing.

"**I have to go. Why do you care so much anyway?" I finally asked in exasperation.**

**His answer took a long time, which was uncharacteristic. Adrian was usually ready with a dozen witty quips. Maybe he couldn't decide which one to use. When he finally responded, it was in that usual sarcastic way of his—though the levity sounded a little forced. "Because it's one of those things I never expected to see in my lifetime," he told me. "Like a comet. Or world peace. I'm just used to you being single."**

"Same here" Rose said and everyone expect me nodded in agrement. What? Didnt they think I could fix a date? Just wait until the next book then because I think that our relationship will be mentioned in atleast the next book of my life, my freaking life.

**For some reason, that bothered me.**

"Exactly. It almost sounds like you dont belive that I can fix a date" I said, huffed quietly and crossed my arms once again infront of my chest and Rose laughed, stretching out her body towards me and placed softly one of her hands on my knee.

"We are not used to you dating Sydney. It's just that and I know that you ever had a date before" she smiled slowly and I grinned, now I was just going to tease her.

"Oh I can. I have had dates before and it's not Brayden" ( aka Adrian ) I grinned at her, winked and she almost directly sat up straight and started to hickup, random. One point to Adrian, One point to me and one point to Rose. Haha, I made Rose hickup.

"What? *hickup* Who? *hickup*" she asked, her voice sounding funny when she hickuped between the words.

"Someone" I winked at her and she litteraly took hold of my shoulders, not letting go when Dimitri and Eddie told her to but I was just teasing her and I knew she ould react this way so I let her hold my shoulders.

"Tell me" She almost shouted, once again she hickuped but stopped when Dimitri got her hands away from my shoulders.

"The book will tell" I winked and she had a sad look on her face, she wanted so badly to know who the other person was and she didnt knew that the guy was in this room. I had meant Adrian of course when I had teased Rose and when I looked at Adrian and saw that handsome smile I knew that he knew.

"**What, you don't think any guy would ever be interested in me?"**

"I think many would be interested in you. Only if you had the courage you would be out on many dates" Rose said and Lissa nodded, that made Jill laugh and they both looked at her confused but didnt ask any questions.

"**Actually," said Adrian, sounding remarkably serious, "I can imagine lots of guys being interested in you."**

"That sounds so cute" Lissa squeled.

**I was certain he was teasing me and had no time for his jokes.**

"It was no joke" Adrian murmured quietly to me and I smiled just a little in secret.

**I said goodbye and headed off to my study group, which, thankfully, was pretty dedicated and got a lot of work done. But when I met up with Trey at the library later, he was less than focused. He couldn't stop going on and on about how brilliant he was in getting Brayden and me together.**

"It was really annoying" I sighed and Jill patted me on the shoulder and I smiled back at her.

"**This date hasn't even happened, and I'm already tired of it," I said.**

"Good" I heard Adrian murmur quietly.

**I spread Trey's lab paperwork out on the table before us. The numbers and formulas were comforting, far more concrete and orderly than the mysteries of social interaction. I tapped the lab assignment with my pen. "Pay attention. We don't have a lot of time."**

**He shrugged off my concerns. "Can't you just finish it?"**

"Can you finish my homework to?" Adrian asked, poking me on the shoulder and I shock my head.

"No" I said, stucking my tounge playfully at him and he made a sad face that soon turned into a smile.

"**No! I left enough time so that you could do it yourself. I'll help, but that's it." Trey was intelligent enough to figure out most of it on his own. Using me was just another way for him to dodge looking smart.**

"Wow! wait a minute!" Eddie said, holding his hand infront of him as if to show Dimitri to stop reading.

"He's smart? I though he was just like the other dudes?" Eddie said, half of his sentance was a question and the last sentance in his talk sounded like a question but wasnt a question.

"Yes he's smart" I admitted and nodded slowly. "Though he doesnt want his friends to know that he is smart"

"Oh . . Okay" Eddie slowly said.

**He let the date go and focused on the work. I thought I was free of Brayden interrogation**

"Not . . " Jill said what I was going to say and I rolled my eyes at her and she rolled her eyes back at me.

**until, just as were wrapping up, Jill and Micah came strolling by, hand in hand.**

When reading that Jill looked down on her own hand and I layd one arm around her shoulder as if to make her feel better because I knew that she was sad about breaking up with Micah because of her being a Moroi and him human.

When no one said nothing Dimitri continued to read because almost everyone, I guessed could see that Jill was sad about this still even if it had happened some time ago.

**They were with a group of other people, which didn't surprise me.**

"Surprise me!" Adrian screamed randomly and I laughed, dragging my fingers trough his beautiful messy hair so his hair became more messy and when I did that he screamed and pulled away my fingers from his hair.

"My hair!" he screamed, trying to fix his hair to his normal messy while the rest of us started to laugh though Dimitri didnt laugh, he just chuckled and continued reading when our laughs started to die down.

**Micah was easygoing and popular, and Jill had inherited a large circle of friends by going out with him.**

"They were actually kind of annoying but still fun. They only liked me for going out with Micah because he's popular" Jill sigh and I patted her on the head, stroking her hair.

**Her eyes sparkled with happiness as someone in the group told a funny story that made them all laugh.**

"Yeah . . it was a good joke" Jill murmured, smiling slowly, resting her head on my shoulder and I let her of course.

**I couldn't help a smile myself. This was a far cry from when Jill had first come to Amberwood and been treated as an outcast for unusual looks and odd behaviors.**

"But they didnt suspect nothing because of our weird family" Eddie said while he in secret was watching Jill, smiling the same time but of course I did notice that he watched her in secret, hehe ;)

**She was thriving with this new social status. Maybe it would help her embrace her royal background. My smile faded when Jill pulled Micah away from the group and hurried over to our table. Her eager expression worried me.**

"Hell has just begun" I murmured but when I heard the rest of the people in the room laugh I knew that they had heard what I had said.

"**Is it true?" she asked. "Do you have a date?"**

"**For the love of—**

"For the love of Adrian you mean" Adrian winked at me, making me blush and punch him slightly on the arm. I loved when he teased like that and his winks was just so adorable to.

"For the love of Dimitri" Rose said, stucking her tounge out at Adrian.

**you know it's true! And you told Adrian, didn't you?"**

"Guilty" I sang to her and she smiled at me but the other laughed, once again. When we are done with this book we are going to die because of how much we are laughing.

**I gave her a pointed look. Their psychic bond wasn't active 100 percent of the time, but something told me she knew about his earlier phone call to me. **

"Sorry" I heard Jill whisper in my ear and I stroked her over the hair once again as if to show that I accepted her apology.

**When the bond was "on," she could see into his mind, observing both his feelings and actions. It only worked one way, however. Adrian had no such insight. She turned sheepish.**

"Jill turned into a sheep!" Rose screamed and when I set my gaze on her I could see her holding a plastic bag with candy in it. She was chewing on something that looked like a skull in the color of black and red and I directly knew what candy it was but I have never tasted it before.

"Where did you get all that candy?" I asked her andd she just winked at me instead of answering me and luckily so she wont eat anymore sugar Dimitri took away the plastic bag of candy away from her and she tried to take the candy back but in defeat.

"**Yeah… I couldn't help it when Micah told me…"**

"**I heard it from Eddie," Micah added quickly,**

"Guilty" I sang this time to Eddie and laughed.

**as though that might get him off the hook. He had red hair and blue eyes that were always cheerful and friendly.**

Eddie looked down on the floor, probably he was remembering Mason and probably so did the others when they lowered their heads and all looked down onto the floor. We held a moment of silence for Mason but later Dimitri continued to read.

**He was one of those people you couldn't help but like, which made it harder to undo the tangled web Jill had woven by dating him.**

"**Hey, I did not tell Eddie," said Trey defensively.**

"He didnt but one of his friends did" Eddie said, nodding.

**I turned my gaze on him. "But you told other people. And they told Eddie."**

"True story" Eddie said, shrugged just a little and that was when I fixed my gaze on him.

"Who told you it?" I asked once again. I wanted to know who told about my and Braydens date to him, I was also curious to know.

"One of his friends. I think his name was James or something like that told me it. I was walking to next class and I accidently bumped into him or it was him that accidently bumped into me and then he told me that and so on" he said and I nodded, satisfied.

**Trey gave a half shrug. "I might have mentioned it here and there."**

"He told almost everyone" Eddie said and my eyes smallened. I will have to deal with Trey later, after this book and after the other book and so on.

"**Unbelievable," I said.**

"**What's this guy like?" asked Jill. "Is he cute?"**

**I thought about it. "Pretty cute."**

"Who's cuter? Me or him?" Adrian asked out of the bright blue and smiled romanticly at me though I was the only one to she the romantic in his smile because he smiled so romanticly that the other couldnt see it but I think Jill also can see it because of the bond.

"You of course" I said and rolled my eyes, saying that he was cuter than Brayden made him happy, I could see that on his face and he was in fact so happy that he kissed me on the cheek and I blushed scarlett red and Rose squeled instead of gasp, probably because of the sugar in the candy she had eaten.

"That was adorable. You two would be a great couple" Lissa told us wich made me blush even more but I was already blushing so no one could see that I was blushing more. Oh go. So much blush.

**She perked up. "Well, that's promising. Where's he taking you? Somewhere good? Night on the town? Fancy dinner? Micah and I had an awesome time at Salton Sea. It's so pretty.**

**You could go there, have a romantic picnic." Her cheeks turned pink**

"Pink as pinkie pie. That's adorable" Adrian said and pinched Jill's cheek gently and that made her blush to so now it was two, her and me that was blushing. My blush was still there on my cheeks though it was starting to fade away.

**and she stopped for breath, as if realizing she was talking too much. Rambling was one of Jill's most endearing traits.**

"That's also adorable" Adrian said once again and once again he pinched her cheek once again gently. So much once again. Hehe x)

"**We're going to see Shakespeare in the park," I said.**

"They died? Didnt they?" Christian asked, he had that usual Christian Ozera smirk on his lips and I just sighed, remembering back to when I told them that we were going to Shakespeare. The silence almost made them act like dead, it was creepy.

**That got me silence.**

"Yep. They died."

"**Antony and Cleopatra. It's good." I suddenly felt the need to defend myself. "A classic.**

**Brayden and I both appreciate Shakespeare."**

"You are so brainy that it's cute" Adrian whispered.

"**His name is Brayden?" asked Micah in disbelief. "What kind of a name is that?"**

Sydney almost wanted to facepalm and she almost asked herself why she didnt do it back then. Almost everyone though that his name was weird. It had a Y in it, just as in her name.

**Jill frowned. "Antony and Cleopatra… is that romantic?"**

"No. Just no. Everyone dies. I already know it. That's not romantic" Jill said, covering her ears with her hands and I rolled my eyes at her and removed her hands away from her ears.

"**Kind of," I said. "For a while. Then everyone dies in the end."**

"Well . . that escalated quickly" Abe said, he had been quiet for awhile because he and Guardian Hathaway had been . . something. Just no. I wont tell. Just no.

**Jill's horrified expression told me that I wasn't really improving matters.**

"**Well," she said. "I hope you have, um, fun." A few moments of awkwardness ensued, then her eyes lit up again. "Oh! Lia called me tonight. She said you two talked about me modeling for her again?"**

No comment. Everyone already knew about that and the others like Rose and Lissa already knew about the situation. I knew thatit was bad for Jill to be modeling for Lia though Jill did look good on photos.

"**She what?" I exclaimed. "That's not quite how I'd put it. She asked if you could do some print ads. I said no."**

No no no no no no no no. Random text.

"**Oh." Jill's face fell a little. "I understand. From what she said… I just thought. Well. I thought maybe there was a way…"**

**I gave her a meaningful look. "I'm sorry, Jill. I wish there was a way. But you know why you can't."**

**She nodded sadly. "I understand. It's okay."**

"**You don't need a modeling campaign to be beautiful to me," said Micah gallantly.**

"Awww that was so adorable" Lissa said and Rose nodded in agreement even I nodded in agreement to because that was really nice of him to say at that moment. Jill was really beautiful, like all moroi used to be but she had this unnatural style to be blinding beautiful.

**That brought a smile back to her face that faded when she saw a nearby clock. Her transient moods reminded me of Adrian's, and I wondered if some of that was the effect of the bond. "Ugh. Curfew's coming. We'd better head out. You coming, Sydney?" I glanced at Trey's lab. It was complete and, I knew, absolutely perfect. "I'll leave in just a couple minutes."**

**She and Micah left. Glancing over at Trey, I was surprised to find him staring at her retreating figure intently.**

"OoooOOoOOOOOOooooo" Rose and Lissa said at the same time in chorous (?) and Jill instantly blushed once again so I gestured to Dimitri to continue to read before Rose or Lissa asked Jill questions or something else.

**I nudged him.**

I nudged Adrian and he nudged me back. Nudge fight broke free but stopped when Jillian stopped us.

"**Hey. Don't forget to put your name on this, or it was all for nothing." It still took him several seconds to drag his gaze away. "That's your sister, isn't it?"**

"Why does he ask that? He already knows that right?" Christian asked confused and I just nodded, shrugged and smiled weakly at Christian because I didnt know how to answer him and just because I didnt want to answer.

**His dismal tone made it sound more like a statement than a question, as though he were revealing some unfortunate fact.**

"Drama" sang Adrian randomly. I was not the only one now to randomly sing out words random and seeing him sing randomly, hearing his voice wanted me to just attack him and tackle him to the ground and kiss him breathless but I kept my calm and didnt attack him and kiss him even if my whole body craved for his kisses and his love.

"**Um, yeah. You've seen her like a hundred times. She's gone to this school for a month." He frowned. "I just never thought much about it… never got a good look at her before. I don't have any classes with her."**

"Is he blind?" Sonya asked and I realised that she hadnt talked in awhile, I hadnt noticed it because I hadnt thought about it that much.

"No" I said nicely.

"**She was front and center in that fashion show."**

"Bad eyes" Sonya murmured to herself though I did hear her.

"**She had a mask on." His dark eyes studied me. "You guys don't look alike at all."**

"That's because you're a different kind of specie and your actually not sisters" Adrian said, trying to make his voice sound serious but in my mind his voice sounded serious and hot and that just made my need to kiss him grow.

"**We get that a lot."**

**Trey still looked troubled, and I had no idea why. "You're smart to keep her out of modeling," he said at last. "She's too young."**

Jill huffed and crossed her arms around herself, I knew that she didnt like it when you called her young. Young sounded like that you were defensless and Jill didnt want to be defensless so that's why we were practicing fighting and all that. So we can handle our self in a fight if it's needed.

"**It's a religious thing," I said, knowing Trey wouldn't quiz me for many details on our "faith."**

"Yeah "Religious"" Adrian said and did that command / sign something you use to do with your fingers and . . shit.

"**Whatever it is, keep her out of the public eye." He scrawled his name on the lab and shut **his textbook. "You don't want her plastered all over magazines or something. Lots of creepy **people out there."**

"And some of those are Strigoi" Jill said and shuttered, closing her eyes tightly.

**Now I was the one left staring. I agreed with him. Too much exposure meant the Moroi dissidents could find Jill.**

"We are never going to let them find you" Eddie said, speaking for all of us and we all nodded. Keaping Jill safe was the most important thing right now because if she died we all would be sad and Lissa would lose her the title as queen.

**But why would Trey feel that way, too? His claims that she was too young were sound, I supposed, but there was something vaguely unsettling about the exchange.**

_But know I know why he was like that_, I thought to myself and dragged my fingers trough some strands of my hair. _But he's nice now. He's cool. Nothing to worry about him anymore._

**The way he'd watched her walk away was too weird. But then, what other reason aside from concern could he have?**

_Because he's a warrior of the light , I thought to myself._

**The normality of the next couple of days was welcome—normality being relative around here, of course. Adrian kept sending me e-mails, asking me to rescue him**

"Why didnt you rescue me?" Adrian asked, making a sad smile with his lips and watching me with those beautiful green eyes.

"Because your reasons to run away from there was to epic or ridiculous" I rolled my eyes at him and patted him nicely on the head.

"I will rescue you next time" I whispered in his ear, winked and smiled.

**(while also offering unsolicited dating advice). Ms. Terwilliger continued her passive aggressive attempts to teach me magic.**

"But she was right to learn your magic because your awesome with magic and you wouldnt be able to search for that witch stuff some weeks ago" Adrian whispered in my ear but Rose heard that he whispered me something and raised both her eyebrows at us because she cant raise one eyebrow. Just to tease her I raised one eyebrow at her and laughed.

**Eddie continued in his fierce dedication to Jill. And Angeline continued her not-sosubtle advances on Eddie.**

"She should really stop with that" Dimitri said with a reasonable tone in his voice, he was looking at Eddie and Eddie was nodding slowly and he then sighed, gesturing to Dimitri, probably just to tell him to continu read the book.

**After watching her "accidentally" spill her water bottle all over her white T-shirt**

Now it was time for Eddie to pretend to die. He placed two fingers to one side of his face and ´shot´ himself and ´died´. When he pretended to shoot himself in the head and die Jill leaned over to Eddie that now layd down on the sofa he were in with closed eyes. It almost looked like that she was going to kiss him when she leaned towards him. I did want them to kiss, they are really perfect for eachother but though Jill did not kiss him but instead she poked him on the chest, over and over again, just as Adrian used to do to me but she stopped when Eddie opened his eyes and instantly she backed away from he, her cheeks turning to a light pink, blushing of course.

**at practice with him one day, I knew something would have to be done,**

"Sydney" Eddie wined as if he was a seven year old boy. "I can handle it by myself"

"I know but I thought that she needed to leave you alone because you dont deserve to have her all over you."

Eddie looked puzzled at first but when he saw the smile that creeped to my lips it looked like that he realised something.

"It was you. You told her to stay away from me and that. That was why she suddenly was more . . not all over me" he said and I just smiled, made two thumbs up at him and he shocked me next when he hugged me but he backed away just a few seconds later and he made two thumbs up back to me.

**no matter what Eddie had said about his personal life. Like so many awkward and unpleasant tasks in our cohort, I had a feeling I was the one who would have to do it.**

"Thank you Sydney even if you shouldnt have done it" Eddie said to me with infact a very cute smile on his lips but Adrian's smiles is much cuter than that. His smile would make you swoon and melt inside because of his adorable and handsome and . . sexy smile. I wish we could just jump to the part when we kiss so we can have all this over with so we dont have to hide our relationship. The only one we cant tell is Zoe and she isnt with us because she wasnt on the list and that was for the best that she wasnt here. Thank list for not inviting Zoe.

**I figured this would be some sort of stern, heart-to-heart talk about the proper way to solicit someone's attention,**

When Dimitri said that a few persons in the room snorted, yeah, they probably think what I had thought after thinking that Dimitri just had readed from the book. I was not the best to give dating advice or the last person who should be giving dating advice.

**but on the night of my date with Brayden, it was soon made clear to me that I was apparently the last person who should be giving dating advice.**

"God bless my soul" I murmured because that part was coming, that part when my human friends, Jill plus Angeline was helping me out with clothes even if I didnt want their help because I didnt dress the way they do.

"**You're wearing that?" demanded Kristin, pointing an accusing finger at the outfit I'd neatly set out on my bed.**

That immediatly made Rose roll her eyes at me, or she probably rolled her eyes because she maybe thought about the crisp cotton blouse I had choosen.

"It's probably a shirt that means ´_Im going to have to end this date early so I can go prpare my Power Point presentation_´" Rose said and smiled at what she had said, she had so no idea that Kristin had said the same idea.

"Or ´_You're never getting in here_´ Lissa said and this actually made them thrown into fits of laughter. Laughing just as much as Julia and Kristen had. It was almost even a little bit of creepy.

They have apperantly no idea that Julia and Kristen had said the same thing. It was a little creepy and a little funny even if they had said the samthing.

**She and Julia had taken it upon themselves to inspect me before I went out.**

"When you go out on another date with your secret lover boy I will get every girl I know and make you look . . . dashling." Rose said, made a "rainbow" with her hands over her head and that made me in fact feel scared. I dont want them dressing me up D: Ehlymana save me D: ( See what I did there? Eh? Did ya? ;D)

**Jill and Angeline had tagged along without invitation,**

"Sorry for doing that." Jill told me. "But I was just so excited that you were going on to a date" she squeled and I stroked her on her back at the same time I rolled my eyes at her.

"Its ok Jill" I said, accepting her apology.

**and I couldn't help but notice that everyone seemed a lot more excited about this than I was.**

"Me and Angeline were actually very excited. It was like . . your first date ever so of course we were excited. Angeline first didnt believe me when I tol her that you had gotten a date but when we stumbled into Trey and so on" Jill said quickly, talking alot and quickly, just like she does sometimes and soon when she realised that she had talked alot and quickly she small blushed and I smiled at her.

**Mostly I was a tangle of nerves and fear.**

"But you should be excited" Lissa said. But I wasnt, I wasnt excited at all in fact before that date. I was more afraid that I would do or say something wrong. That had been one of my biggest fears of that date but I wasnt as afraid like before when I go to dates today though my dates with Adrian is in secret and I love him with all my heart so dates with him is easy and romantic but we often have our secret dates in spirit dreams. Everytime we go on a date he gives me lilies. Ironic because my tattoo on the cheek is a lilly.

**This was what it must feel like to go into a test without having studied.**

"Dating is not like a test in school. It's a test about love and kissing and everything" Jill squeled, she was getting excited because we were now reading about when I go to my first date and she's probably curious about what we did on the date. Rose will get so shocked when we get to that part there me and Brayden handshake instead of kissing.

**It was a new experience for me.**

"Of course it is. It was your first date" Rose squeled. The girls in the room expect Guardian Hathaway was getting excited to read my first date so they are going to squel all the way trough the date, probably and then die, not litteraly die at the handsake, atleast Rose and Lissa because they dont know about the handshake.

"**It's not a school uniform," I said. I'd had enough sense to know wearing that would be unacceptable.**

"**And it's a color. Kind of."**

"What is a kind of color?" Lissa asked with excitement in her voice, even the queen of the vampires is excited.

"Lemon yellow" I asked almost directly after she had asked me. I still remembered the color of that nice looking crisp cotton blouse with short sleeves and a high, button-up color. I really liked that shirt actually but the others had disapproved at that shirt, sigh.

**Julia held up the top I'd selected, a crisp cotton blouse with short sleeves and a high, button-up collar. The whole thing was a soft shade of lemon yellow, which I thought would score me points with this group since everyone accused me of not wearing colors.**

"It is a nice color" Lissa admitted and she was about to say something else when Rose suddenly interuppted her, that was kind of rude when she did that but Rose is Rose, cant change who she is.

"More wild colors you should wear. Like blazing red or neon colors" Rose said but smiled just a little, she looked a little disappointed because of the color on the crisp cotton blouse so I smiled just a little to back at her.

**I'd even combined it with a pair of jeans. She shook her head. "This is the kind of shirt that says, 'You're never getting in here.'"**

When Dimitri readed what Julia had said Lissa's face went horrified. She was looking so funny that I had to cover my mouth with my hand so I wouldnt burst out laughing but a piece of the horrified calmed down when Christian laid a arm around her and kissed her on the cheek. They looked so adorable together. I wonder when they are getting married.

"**Well, why would he?" I demanded.**

That made a few snickers being heard around in the room and when I looked at Rose she shook her head at me as if I was only a child.

"You should really get advices in dating" she sighed and Lissa nodded in agrement.

**Kristin, sitting cross-legged in my desk chair, tilted her head thoughtfully as she studied the shirt. "I think it's more like a shirt that says, 'I'm going to have to end this date early so I can go prepare my Power Point presentation.'"**

This time Rose face went horrified, both Rose and Lissas faces was now looking horrified and I couldnt help it when I suddenly burst out laughing because of theirs horrified expressions. They looked at me as if I was weird while I had a outburst of laughing but when the laughter started to calm down a few tears were on my cheeks and I quickly wiped away them.

"This book is just getting weirder and Sydney is getting weird" Rose said and I laughed, shaking wildly on my head but calmed down just a few quick second later and when I looked at her and Lissa there was still a little horrified expression on their faces.

**That sent them into fits of laughter. I was about to protest when I noticed Jill and Angeline going through my closet. "Hey! Maybe you should ask before doing that."**

"Sorry" Jill told me once again and I patted her lightly on the back.

"It's okay Jill" I said and smiled at her and she smiled back. She feels like a little sister to me even if I already have one little sister.

"**All your dresses are too heavy," **

"After this book we are going to buy you new dresses" Rose said, Lissa, Sonya and even Jill nodded in agrement. Sigh. One hell after another.

**said Jill. She pulled out one made of soft, gray cashmere. "I mean, at least this is sleeveless, but it's still too much for this weather."**

"We are going to buy many summer clothes" Lissa said instead of Rose and once again, the girls and even the boys in the room nodded.

"**Half my wardrobe is," I said. "It's made for four seasons. I didn't really have a lot of time to switch to all summer stuff before coming here."**

"You could have bought more summer clothes after coming here" Sonya said and she was playing with the edge of her nice looking, grey dress. That was actually a really nice dress she was wearing.

"**See?" exclaimed Angeline triumphantly.**

"Oh god what did you do now Sydney?" Eddie joked when he heard the word Angeline and triumphantly but I just sighed at him and shock my head at him.

"Nothing. Talked about clothes" I smiled just a little.

"**Now you know my problem.**

"Her problem was maybe clothes but her other problem back then was that she didnt leave me alone and did those things like pouring water on her shirt while training" Eddie said and quivered a little. Poor Eddie that was witness to those, some horrible and embarrasing things she did.

**I can cut a couple inches off of that, if you want."**

"Nevah!" I screamed at the book but cleared my throat when the others looked at me shooked, maybe because they hadnt heard me screaming before.

"Sorry" I murmured, gesturing to Dimitri to continue read.

"**No!"**

"That time you didnt scream" Eddie commented but I ignored to answer.

**To my relief, Jill put the dress away.**

"Thank you Jill for putting away my dress from Angelines wrath" I told her, hugged as if to say thanks for saving my dress from Angeline and she actually did hugg me back when I hugged her.

"No problem" she smiled.

**A few moments later, she produced a new find.**

"Is in another boring, no offense Sydney, dress or shirt?" Rose asked and I smiled just a little when Rose kind of said sorry for saying boring dress or shirt. But the find Jill had found was that long, white tank top.

"It was actually a long white tank top made of light, crinkly material with a scoop neckline" I told Rose and in surprise Rose did one thumbs up but sad enough, she didnt do two thumbs up but atleast one thumbs up to one of my clothes made me atleast a little happy. Rose liked atleast one of my clothings.

"**What about this?" She held up a hanger carrying a long white tank top made of light, crinkly material with a scoop neckline.**

Once again Rose made a thumbs up but this time her thumbs up made me smile and the other persons in the room followed her lead and they also started to do one thumbs up at me and I couldnt help it but it made me squel.

"You sound cute when you squel" I heard Adrian whisper in my ear and that made me once again smile. He deffinetly deserve a breathless kiss when we have a break from this book or something.

**Kristin glanced at Angeline. "Think you could make the neckline lower?"**

"Poor poor Sage" Adrian said and chuckled but that only resulted in with me punching him carefully on the shoulder and when I did that to him he punched me on the arm back but not hard at all. God. I love this handsome moroi so much. I just want to smack my lips with his.

"**The neckline's low enough already. And that's not a shirt you wear on its own," I protested.**

"**It's meant to be tucked in under a blazer."**

"Wont it get hot if you have a blazer under it?" Christian asked and frowned, he didnt know much about girl clothes apperantly but he sure did know about Lissa's clothes, as much as they rip their clothes of eachother when they are alone in a room, atleast that was what I have heard from Rose weeks ago.

**Julia rose from the chair. She tossed her hair; this was serious business.**

"Must be very serious" Adrian said, the same thing he said when I had confronted him about driving a manual car. The sentance brought up alot of memories but it still made me smile. If he hadnt told me about his feelings for me, we wouldnt maybe be together right now and maybe have a happy ever after.

"**No, no… this might work." She took the shirt from Jill and laid it across the jeans I'd set out.**

"Since they didnt choose away the jeans and the fact that they did choose the jeans so . . " Rose said, draging out on the last word but finally made two thumbs up. Seeing her make two thumbs up because of my jeans made me highfive with Adrian first, then Jill and last Eddie. Rose looked confused after I had highfived them but I just grined at her.

**She studied it for a few moments and then returned to my closet—which was apparently free game for everyone.**

When hearing that Rose leaned closer to Lissa and whispered somthing to her. I couldnt hear what Rose whispered to Lissa but I made a spell that made so I can listen to Rose whisper to Lissa. Rose whispered about something that they should invade my closet and buy brand new hot clothes.

**After a quick search, she pulled out a skinny leather belt with a tan snakeskin pattern.**

"That sounds nice" Rose said and I smiled becacuse she said that my belt was nice :3

"**I thought I remembered you wearing this." She laid the belt over the white shirt and stepped back. After a bit more scrutiny, she gave it a nod of approval. The others crowded in to look.**

"It looked very nice" Jill said and smiled at her and I smiled back at her.

"**Good eye," said Kristin.**

"**Hey, I found the shirt," Jill reminded her.**

"You have a good eye to" I told her, making her smile and I smiled once again back at her and she leaned her head on my shoulder.

"**I can't wear the shirt alone," I said. I hoped my protests covered up my anxiety. Had I really been that off on the yellow shirt? I'd been certain it was date-appropriate. How was I going to survive tonight if I couldn't even dress right?**

"You will never dress right in your mind with us around" Rose teased, leaned closer to me and playfully she punched me on the arm but it still stung a little when she did back because Rose is really strong, maybe the bests guardian around.

"**If you want to put a blazer on over it in this weather, be my guest," said Julia.**

"Why dont you just take a nic blouse. Regular and nice**?**" Sonya asked and I raised one eyebrow at this but raising one eyebrow made Rose look a little bit jealous and I noticed that when I looked at her and stuck out a tounge at her but I returned my gaze to Sonya but when I was about to answer her, Jill answered for me instead and I was thankful for that.

"Because it's her first date so she have to look super duper awesome" Jill squeled and I smiled at her, earning a smile back from her.

"**But I don't think you have to worry about it showing too much. This wouldn't even be worth Mrs. Weathers's notice."**

"Who's Mrs. Wheather?" Rose asked.

"She's a teacher at the school" I answered on her question.

"**Neither would the yellow blouse," I pointed out.**

**They decided my clothing was a done deal and moved on to hair and makeup advice.**

_Isnt hell over yet?_, I thought for myself in my head and sighed. I would never let them help me with dates again because I want to choose my own clothing and I dont want them choose my clothing but Jill maybe can help me sometime.

**I drew the line there. I wore makeup every day**

"you do?" Eddie asked shocked and I just smiled, my makeup was so good that I looked like that I didnt even have makeup. I nodded and stuck playfully my tounge out at all of them because they all looked atleast a little bit of shocked but not Adrian. He knew how I looked without makeup.

—**very nice, very expensive makeup applied to make the most of my features in a way that made it look as though I didn't even have makeup on. I wasn't going to change that natural look, no matter how adamantly Julia swore pink eye shadow would be "hot."**

"It would look hot but more hot with neon red. You never wear red" Rose said and sighed about the part with red, oh she had no idea that I actually have weared red before. It was that dress I got from Lia and even if I dont want to admit it, that dress was really beautiful.

**None of them put up much of a fight on my hair. It was currently in a layered cut that went just past my shoulders. There was exactly one way it could be styled, worn down with the layers carefully arranged with a hair dryer. Any other style looked messy, and of course, I already had it in the perfect configuration today. No point messing with a good thing. Besides, I think they were all too excited that I'd agreed to wear the white tank top**

"We were excited. Really excited" Jill admitted and smiled sheepishly (?) "You looked really nice in that white tank top"

—**once I'd tried it on to verify that it wasn't transparent.**

"That was good" Adrian said.

**My only nod to jewelry was my little gold cross.**

"Your cross is beautiful" Jill said and I thanked her, hearing Jill saying that my cross was beautiful was a really nice thing to hear. I already knew it was beautiful, the cross has always been beauitful to me but hearing other persons than me saying it was really nice. Even Adrian later said that the cross was beautiful but after that he had whispered in my ear that I was more beautiful than the cross. That I was his fiery light in the dark. His fiery heart. ( Hint hint ;D ) And when he whispered that in my ear made my heart jump a extra beat and me squel and no one questioned why i squeled.

**I fastened it around my neck and said a silent prayer that I'd get through this. Although Alchemists used crosses a lot, we weren't exactly part of any traditional Christian faith or practice. We had our own religious services and believed in God, that He was a great force of goodness and light that infused every bit of the universe. With all that responsibility, He probably didn't care much**

"He dont care much about that?" Rose asked, interuppting Dimitri before he could finish the sentance and I sighed once again.

"Your question will be answered in the book" I simply told her and gestured to Dimitri to continue read wich he did while his right arm was around Rose's waist, his right hand was holding hers right hand. That looked so cute.

**about one girl going on a date,**

"Who? You?" Rose asked, confused and I rolled my eyes at her. Wasnt it obvious? But I nodded to her and she rolled her eyes once she understood that it was me, of course it was me, the book is from my point of view after all.

**but maybe He could spare a second to make sure it wasn't too painful.**

"Dates are not pain.." Rose said but she didnt have time to finish her sentance because Dimitri's right hand covered her mouth and that actually made the most of us laugh, especially when Rose bit him in the hand and I even though they were going to start kiss now but they didnt, lucky us then.

**They all traipsed down the stairs with me when the time came for Brayden to pick me up.**

The date was moving closer in the book, all the girls atleast realised that because Sonya, Rose, Lissa and Jill squeled at the same time but I didnt squel because I already knew what was going to happen. It was not fair that they are going to know all about my private life.

**(Actually, it was a little earlier than the appointed time, but I hated being late.)**

"Hates being late. Comes earlier. Around 10 minutes earlier. That's my Sage" Adrian said and smiled but later his smiled dropped when he probably realised that he had said ´my Adrian´ Im his Sage. But no one focused on or maybe didnt hear tht he had said that I was his Sage because they were probably sucked up for the date, my date.

**The girls had all come up with reasons for needing to meet him, from Jill's "It's a family thing" to Kristin's "I can spot an asshole in five seconds." I wasn't confident in that last one, seeing as she'd once speculated that Keith might be a good catch.**

"Your friend has a weird mind of hers" Rose rolled her eyes at what she said and because she had said that about my friend I will joke a little about her.

"You say so about my friend but what do you say about yourself huh? You say my friend is weird in her mind but you are my friend to so that also makes you weird in your mind" I said and Rose so did not expect that, I could see that on the look of her face but she didnt comment, just huffed and told Dimitri to continue read.

**All of them were also full of unsolicited advice.**

_It will never end_ , I sighed.

"**You can split the cost of dinner or the play," said Julia. "Not both. He needs to pick up the whole bill on one of them."**

"Or he just can pay for everything. Order the most expensive stuff you can stuff" Rose said and I groaned, not her to. I do not want anymore of those advices.

"Please. No more advices" I said, covered my ears with my ears but my hands got away from my ears because Adrian took away my hands from my ears. I just stuck my tounge out at him.

"**Better if he pays for everything, though," said Kristin.**

Once again Rose face went horrified because once again she said the same thing as Kristin. She glared at the book but soon she burried her chest into Dimitri's chest but he didnt have a problem with that I could tell, because him being so tall and all that.

"**Still order something, even if you don't want to eat it,"**

_No_ I simply thought.

**added Jill. "If he's buying dinner, you don't want to let him off cheap. He's gotta work for you."**

"You were saying that when I dated Brayden but you didnt say that when I got together with Adrian and started date him" I whispered in Jill's ear so only her could hear, no one else maybe expect Adrian.

"**Where are you guys getting all of this?" I asked. "What does it matter if I—oh, come on." We'd reached the lobby and found Eddie and Micah sitting on a bench together. **

"Sorry" Eddie told me with a small, apologetic smile.

"It's okay Eddie. You had your reasons" I smiled at him and he nodded, smiling at the same time as he nodded.

**They at least had the decency to look embarrassed.**

"**Not you guys too," I said.**

"**I was just here to see Jill," said Micah unconvincingly.**

"**And I was here to, um…" Eddie faltered,**

"Awwww. Eddie's like a protective brother" Rose teased and he blushed, just a little tiny bit, you couldnt see that little tiny bit blush but because of my magic I could see that but didnt say anything. I liked Eddie as a brother. He was like the brother I never had and I wanted to keep it that way. Eddie as a brother. Jill sister even if she's not free and Adrian as my boyfriend.

**and I held up a hand to stop him.**

"Why not two?" Christian winked and I rolled my eyes at him. He can sometimes act like a child, sometimes like a seven yearold child or a younger year old child but I dont mind.

"Because he's not a cop" I winked back at him.

"**Don't bother. Honestly, I'm surprised Trey isn't here with a camera or something. I figured he'd want to immortalize every moment of this debacle of a—oh. Hey, over here."**

Jill squeled at this because she knew that it was at this part of the chapter when Brayden appeard. The other girls expect Guardian Hathaway looked at Jill confused but they soon realised that Brayden was going to appear now in the chapter and they squeled to but not Guardian Hathaway.

**I put on a smile as Brayden stepped into the lobby. Apparently I wasn't the only one who liked to be early.**

"One" Rose said, holding up one finger and I looked at her, confused and as if she were weird.

"One what?" I asked her.

"One because I'm counting on how much you have in common" She answered and I nodded. He and me had alot in common but still my heart did not belong to him. My heart belongs to my true love Adrian.

**Brayden seemed a little surprised that I had an entourage. I couldn't blame him since I was kind of surprised I had one too.**

"**It's nice to meet all of you," said Brayden, friendly, even if a little bewildered.**

"He sounds nice" Lissa said and leaned closer to the book as if she could get a sneak peak out of the book but Dimitri held the book away from her, good job Dimitri :-P

"Yet . ." Rose said after Lissa's sentance and that did annoy me somehow.

**Eddie, while uncomfortable with Angeline's advances,**

"Why Angeline all of sudden?" Eddie asked confused.

"Dont blame my mind" I said, crossing my arms over my chest, that was atleast the second time I did that in this chapter.

**could be perfectly outgoing in less bizarre social situations. He played up the brotherly role and shook Brayden's hand. "I hear you guys are seeing a play tonight."**

"**Yes," said Brayden. "Although, I prefer the term drama. I've actually already seen this production, but I'd like to watch it again with an eye toward alternative forms of dramatic analysis. The standard Freytag method can get a little clichéd after a while."**

Once again, hearing Dimitri reading this left all speachless in the room, that had happened to after Brayden had said that but only a few seconds Rose shooked her head, aperantly confused. Because we were all quit and didnt say anything Dimitri slowly started to read.

**This left everyone speechless. Or maybe they were just trying to figure out what he'd said.**

"Both" Eddie said and Jill nodded. Well there was that answer for my thought.

**Eddie glanced at me then back to Brayden. "Well. Something tells me you guys are going to have a great time together."**

"We did . . Actually . . it happened something really funny there" I admitted and smiled just a little. Eddie did have right, we had a great time together but the most funniest thing that happened what that guy that smuggled in alcohol, the guy who remembered me about Adrian because I definetly could see in my mind, him smuggling in alcohol to such plays.

**Once we were able to extract ourselves from my well-wishers**

"Let the date begin!" All the girls expect Guardian Hathaway sang out and I sighed, facepalmed almost.

**Brayden said, "You have very… devoted family and friends."**

"**Oh," I said. "That. They just, uh, happened to all be going out together at the same time we were. To study."**

"We were not" Eddie protested but I ignored him but still I did smile just a little, the edges of my lips twitching.

**Brayden glanced at his watch. "Not too late for that, I suppose. If I can, I always do my homework right after school because—"**

"**If you put it off, you never know if something unexpected might happen?"**

"**Exactly," he said.**

"Two." Rose said. Now holding up two fingers on her left hand because her right hand was once again holding Dimitri's right hand. "You have the same homework habits"

**He smiled at me. I smiled back.**

"Just kiss already" Lissa said but I ignored what she said.

**I followed him to visitor parking, over to a shiny, silver Ford Mustang. I nearly swooned.**

"What is it with you and cars?" Guardian Hathaway asked instead of Rose, her daughter. "Because I love cars and it's a hobby" I admitted.

**Immediately, I reached out and ran my hand along the car's smooth surface. "Nice," I said.**

"**Brand new, next model year. These new ones will never quite have the character of the classics, but they certainly make up for it in fuel economy and safety."**

Everyone was unfortunately confused at this because they didnt know much about cars, not as much as I do so they must have learned something new about cars today because of this chapter and me talking about Braydens car in the chapter.

**Brayden looked pleasantly surprised. "You know your cars."**

_Of course I do _, I thought to myself, smiling. Remembering Ivashkinator. Adrian's beautiful car. Brayden's car was beautiful but the Ivashkinator was more beautiful if I have to tell the truth. I loved the Ivashkinator.

"**It's a hobby," I admitted. "My mom is really into them." When I'd first met Rose Hathaway,**

"Yaay! It's me!" Rose said and squeled at the same time, she jumped up from the sofa but jumped down on the sofa directly after.

**I'd had the incredible experience of driving a 1972 Citroën. Now I owned a Subaru named Latte. I loved it, but it wasn't exactly glamorous.**

"I miss that 1972 Citroën" I said and sighed, looking at Rose who snorted just a bit because she was the only one in this room expect me that had seen my 1972 Citroën that I only used in Russia.

"**They're works of art and engineering." I noticed then that Brayden had come with me to the passenger side.**

"That's cute. He sounds okay but we'll decide our decision after the date" Lissa said and Rose nodded and I sighed, Jill and Sonya just smiled and Jill patted me secretly on the back wich made me smile one again but this smile was directed to Jill, in secret of course.

**For half a second, I thought he expected me to drive.**

Rose was the only one to facepalm at this but Lissa, Sonya and Jill just rolled their eyes at me and that actually made me blush a little, I couldnt help it that I was so bad at dating before.

**Maybe because I liked cars so much? But then, he opened the door and I realized he was waiting for me to get in. I did, trying to remember the last time a guy had opened a car door for me. My conclusion: **

"One million times?" Rose asked hopefull even if that number was ridicolous.

**never.**

Rose awwwww;ed and Lissa made a sad face and Jill plus Sonya watched me with a comforting look. What? It was only door opening.

**Dinner wasn't fast food, but it wasn't anything fancy either. I wondered what Julia and Kristin's opinion would be on that. We ate at a very California type of café, that served all organic sandwiches and salads. Every menu item seemed to feature avocado.**

"Avocado is actually really good" Jill admitted, grabbing my hand and suddenly she watched me with puppy eyes, oh god, make it stop.

"Can we go there sometime.? Please Sydney. I like avocado" Jill asked. I couldnt resist those adorable puppy eyes she were giving me so I only nodded slowly and the puppy eyes disapperared and I breathed out in relief, quietly.

"**I would've taken you somewhere nicer," he told me. "But I didn't want to risk being late. The park's a few blocks away, so we should be able to get a good spot. I… I hope that's okay?"**

"He sounds nervous" Guardian Hathaway said and I nodded, as if to tell that she were right and she apperantly noticed that and realised that she was right because she nodded back at me.

**He suddenly looked nervous.**

"One point to me" Guardian Hathaway said, made a thumbs up and raised a eyebrow at her daughter, just to tease her I realise but Rose just looked away. Rose really hated that all of us expect her could raise a eyebrow.

**It was such a contrast to the confidence he had shown when talking about Shakespeare. I had to admit, it was kind of reassuring. I found myself relaxing a little bit. "If it's not, I'll find a better place—"**

"**No, this is great,"**

"That was actually nice of you to say becaus he was nervous and that" Sonya said and I nodded.

**I told him, glancing around the café's brightly lit dining room. It was one of those places where we ordered at a counter and then brought a number to our table.**

"It doesnt seem like anything luxurious" Rose murmured, made a sad thumbs down and I gave her a sad smile because of that.

"**I'd rather be early, anyway." He'd paid for all of our food. I tried to make sense of the dating rules my friends had bombarded me with. "What do I owe you for my ticket?" I asked tentatively.**

**Brayden looked surprised. "Nothing. It's on me." He smiled tentatively back.**

"That was nice of him" Jill said and smiled and I nodded in agreement. That had actually been really nice of him but when I though of it, it still made me feel a little uneasy.

"**Thank you," I said. So, he was paying. That would make Kristin happy, although it made me a little uneasy—through no fault of his. With the Alchemists, I was always the one picking up the bills and handling the paperwork. I wasn't used to someone else doing it. I guess I just had trouble shaking that feeling that I had to take care of everything because no one else could do it right.**

"Do you get that feeling around us?" Eddie asked, watching me with puppy eyes and I groaned. Thanks to Jill, Eddie was now doing the puppy eyes but he stopped when I groaned.

"Not so much" I admitted.

**Academics had always been a breeze for me. But at Amberwood, learning how to hang out with people my own age in a normal way had been a much more difficult task. I'd gotten better, but it was still a struggle trying to figure out the proper things to say to my peers. With Brayden, there were no such problems. We had an endless supply of topics, both of us eager to put forth all we knew on anything and everything. Most of the meal was spent discussing the intricacies of the organic certification process. It was pretty awesome.**

"Organic? Certification process? Awesome?" Rose asked, her voice was sounding weird but that was probably because she was shoked or something else, probably shocked because of what I and Brayden had talked about. I though she would make a bad comment or something else but instead she started to laugh and soon the others joined in but not Dimitri, Adrian yaay :3 , Guardian Hathaway, Abe and Sonya just a little. Sonya just giggled.

"Oh god Sydney. You two are so random" Rose laughed and started to calm down and so did the rest because I had already prepared for the water ball spell but I forgot about it when they stopped laughing and Dimitri continued to read when we were sure they wouldnt laugh again . . yet.

**Trouble came when, as we were finishing up, Brayden asked if I wanted to get dessert before we left. I froze, suddenly in a dilemma. Jill had said to make sure I ordered enough to not come across as a cheap date.**

"Did you listen to what I said then?" Jill said, poked me on the arm with her elbow on her left arm and I shook my head, smiling as if to say sorry and she just sighed.

**Without even thinking about it, I'd ordered an inexpensive salad—simply because it sounded good. Was I now on the hook to order more so I'd seem like someone Brayden had to work for? Was this worth breaking all my own rules about sugar and dessert? And honestly, what did Jill know about dating etiquette anyway? Her last boyfriend had been homicidal, and her current one was oblivious to the fact that she was a vampire.**

I covered her ears when Dimitri readed that last sentance but soon I removed my hands away from her ears when he was done with the sentance. I did that because I didnt want Jill to hear that, I didnt want her to get hurt

"**Uh, no thank you," I said at last. "I'd rather make sure we get to the park on time." He nodded as he rose from the table and gave me another smile. "I was thinking the same thing. Most people don't seem to think punctuality is that important."**

"**Important? It's essential," I said. "I'm always at least ten minutes early." Brayden's grin widened. "I aim for fifteen.**

"Three." Rose now said and held up three fingers. "Think about getting in time and early"

I just rolled my eyes at her, she was going to find many things that me and Brayden have in common.

**To tell you the truth… I really didn't want dessert anyway." He held the door open for me as we stepped outside. "I try to avoid getting too much sugar."**

**I nearly came to a standstill in astonishment. "I totally agree**

"Four now." Rose once again said but she said four instead of three and she was holding up four fingers. "You both avoid Sugar"

—**but my friends always give me a hard time about it."**

"that's because sugar is jummy" Adrian said and everyone nodded in agreement expect me of course. I just pretended that I puked but that only resulted in making them laugh.

**Brayden nodded. "There are all sorts of reasons. People just don't get it, though." I walked to the park, stunned. No one had ever understood me so quickly and easily. It was like he had read my mind.**

"Ooooooooo Spooky" Rose said with a spooky voice but almost directly after she laughed just a little, the laugh didnt last long and when her laugh stopped, Dimitri continued to read.

**Palm Springs was a desert city, filled with long stretches of sandy vistas and stark, rocky mountain faces. But it was also a city that mankind had been shaping for a long time, and many places—Amberwood, for example—had been given lush, green makeovers in defiance of the natural climate. This park was no exception. It was a huge expanse of green lawn, ringed with leafy deciduous trees instead of the usual palms. A stage had been set up at one end, and people were already seeking out the best spots. We chose one in the shade that had a great view of the stage. Brayden took out a blanket to sit on from his backpack, along with a worn copy of Antony and Cleopatra. It was marked up with notes and sticky tabs.**

"Booknerd" I heard Rose murmur. I glared at her and she shut up, letting Dimitri continue read so we can get this over with.

"**Did you bring your own?" he asked me.**

"**No," I said. I couldn't help but be impressed.**

"If I had that book. Would you be inpressed?" Adrian whispered and asked in my ear, he whispered so low that only me and maybe Jill could hear. I couldnt help but smile when he whispered that.

"Very impressed" I whispere quietly back in his ear and winked.

"**I didn't bring many books from home when I moved here."**

**He hesitated, as though unsure he should say what he was thinking. "Do you want to read along with mine?"**

"accept accept accept accept" Lissa squeled and I rolled my eyes at her. I had rolled my eyes many times in this chapter and in the other chapters.

**I'd honestly figured I would just watch the play, but the scholar in me could certainly see the perks of having the original text along. I was also curious about what kind of notes he'd made. It was only after I'd said yes that I realized why he was nervous. Reading along with him meant we had to sit very, very close together.**

"Oooooooooooooooooooooooo" Rose and Lissa both said and the same time. After that they squeled an that made Sonya squel and then they squeled again. They seemed to like my date. Gosh.

"**I won't bite," he said, smiling when I didn't move right away.**

"Awwww" Rose and Lissa once again said at the same time and they also once again squeled because of what Brayde had said.

**That broke the tension, and we managed to move into positions that allowed us both to see the book with almost no touching. There was no avoiding our knees brushing one another, but we both had jeans on, and it didn't make me feel like my virtue was at stake. Also, I couldn't help but notice he smelled like coffee**

"Oh god not coffee again" Adrian joked and I laughed just a little bit.

—**my favorite vice. That wasn't a bad thing. Not bad at all.**

"That was good that you think he . . smells nice" Sonya said, sounding a little unsure in her voice.

"Yeah but I know a better smell than that" I said and winked.

"What smell?" Rose asked and I shock my head at her.

"Secret" I said and once again I winked but she just made a sad face.

**Still, I was very conscious of being so close to someone. I didn't think I was getting any romantic vibes. My pulse didn't race; my heart didn't flutter.**

Both Rose and Lissa had sad expressions on their faces now but I just smiled weakly at them, murmuring ´sorry´ because I knew that I had though in the book and that wasnt what they had expected.

**Mostly I was aware that this was the closest I'd sat to anyone, maybe in my life. I wasn't used to sharing my personal space so much.**

**I soon forgot about that as the play started. Brayden might not like Shakespeare performed in modern clothing, but I thought they did an admirable job. Following along with the text, we caught a couple of spots where the actors messed up a line. We shot each other secret, triumphant looks, gleeful that we were in on something others didn't know about. I kept up with Brayden's annotations too, nodding at some and shaking my head at others. I couldn't wait until we discussed this on the ride home.**

**We were all leaning forward intently during Cleopatra's dramatic death scene, intensely focused on her last lines. Off to my side, I heard the crinkling of paper.**

Now I smiled because that guy with the crinkling paper had reminded me of Adrian and soon the others will know why I smiled because they asked me why I started to smile that big smile I did right no but my smile calmed down because I cant keep smiling forever.

**I ignored it and leaned forward further. The paper crinkled again, this time much louder. Looking over, I saw a group of guys sitting nearby who appeared to be about college-aged. Most of them were watching the performance, but one was holding an item wrapped in a brown paper bag. The bag was too big for the object and had been rolled down several times. He glanced around nervously, trying to be discreet and unroll the paper in small batches. It was obvious that was actually making more noise than if he'd just gone for it and unrolled it all at once.**

"True story" I murmured and smiled just a little just this time, I did not fully wide smile so yeah :P

**This went on for another minute, and by then, a few others nearby were glancing over at him. He finally managed to open the bag and then, still in slow motion, carefully lowered his hand inside. I heard the pop of a cap**

"I guess it's alcohol or something. Am I right Sydney?" Jill asked me, looked up at me because she had her head on my shoulder and I nodded with a little smile on my lips.

"Yes. You are right Jill" I said while smiling, stroking her over the hair.

**and the guy's face lit up in triumph. Still keeping the object concealed, he lifted the bag to his mouth and drank out of what was very obviously a bottle of beer or some other alcohol. It had been pretty apparent right away from the bag shape.**

**I clapped a hand over my mouth, in an attempt to smother my laughter.**

"What happened? Why did you laugh?" Adrian asked, his voice was actually sounding a little bit worried when I listened closely..

"Yeah. Why did you laugh Sydney?" Rose asked.

"Because it reminded me of Adrian" I said and slowly smiled.

**He reminded me so much of Adrian.**

"Awww. You think about me. Im honored Sage" Adrian said and laid his hand over his heart wich made me laugh. He always makes me laugh because he is my awesome, hotie, beautiful, adorable and cute Adrian. My Adrian.

And to my surprise Rose didnt say anything and when I looked at her she was once again watching us with suspicious in her eyes, just like when we were reading the first chapters. F*ck.

**I could absolutely see Adrian smuggling in alcohol to an event like this**

"Of course I would do that" Adrian said and rolled his eyes at me but the others like Lissa and Eddie rolled their eyes at Adrian.

**and then going to all sorts of pains to be covert, thinking that if he just did everything slowly enough, no one would catch on to him. Adrian, too, would probably have the misfortune of opening the bottle right in the middle of the play's most tense scene. I could even picture a similarly delighted look on his face, one that said, No one knows what I'm doing! When, of course, we all knew. I didn't know why it made me laugh, but it did.**

**Brayden was too focused on the play to notice. "Ooh," he whispered to me. "This is a good part—where her handmaidens kill themselves."**

Jill's face went horrified and she burried her face against my shoulder and I lightly patted her on the back.

**The two of us had plenty to debate and analyze on the way back to Amberwood. I was almost disappointed when his car pulled up to my dorm. **

The horrified look disappeared from Jill's face when she realised there wasnt coming anything more about the handmaidens that killed themself and when she heard the last sentance she squeled and seeing her not horrified anymore made me feel happy that she was happy.

**As we sat there, I realized we'd come to another critical dating milestone. What was the correct procedure here? Was he supposed to kiss me? Was I supposed to let him? Had that been the real price of my salad?**

"Please tell me that you kiss!" Lissa said and squeled togethet with Rose, Sonya and Jill just a little. They were all adorable when they squeled, especially Jill that looked so adorable and so cute when she squeled.

**Brayden seemed nervous too, and I braced myself for the worst. When I looked down at my hands in my lap, I noticed they were shaking. You can do this, I told myself. It's a rite of passage. I started to close my eyes,**

All girls expect Guardian Hathaway and me and maybe a little Jill, started to squel much, so much it even hurted my ears a little bit.

**but when Brayden spoke, I opened them quickly.**

Rose, Lissa and Sonya had now sad expression on their faces. Jill looked more relieved because she knew that I'm togethet with Adrian. She squeled because she was happy to hear about the date from my point of view.

**As it turned out, Brayden's buildup of courage wasn't for a kiss, so much as a question.**

"**Would you… would you like to go out again?" he asked, giving me a shy smile.**

**I was surprised at the mix of emotions this triggered. Relief was foremost, of course. I'd now have time to research books on kissing too.**

This made the most of the people in the room roll their eyes at me. I just shrugged at them and blushed a little but it wasnt noticable.

**At the same time, I was kind of disappointed that the swagger and confidence he'd shown in dramatic analysis didn't carry through here.**

Lissa, Rose and Sonya still had that sad expression on their face but the sad expression started to fade away, just a little bit per minute that went away.

**Some part of me thought his line should've been more like, "Well, after that night of perfection, I guess we have no choice but to go out again." Immediately, I felt stupid for such a sentiment.**

**I had no business expecting him to be more at ease with this when I was sitting there with my hands shaking.**

"**Sure," I blurted out.**

The sad expression on Rose's, Lissa's and Sonya's faces went away now and instead they were now happy because they now knew that I was going on a second date with Brayden. Just wait until they know about where we will have our second date x)

**He breathed a sigh of relief. "Cool," he said. "I'll e-mail you."**

"**That'd be great." I smiled. More awkward silence fell, and suddenly, I wondered if the kiss might be coming after all.**

"**Do you… do you want me to walk you to the door?" he asked.**

"**What? Oh, no. Thank you. It's right there. I'll be fine. Thank you." I realized I was on the verge of sounding like Jill.**

"Two Jills. That would be so adorable" Adrian said and just out of the blue he hugged me and Jill at the same time but pulled soon away, chuckled slightly because both me and Jill were blushing and the others were shaking their heads, chuckling but Rose watched me and Adrian suspicious once again.

"**Well, then," said Brayden. "I had a really nice night. Looking forward to next time."**

"**Me too."**

**He held out his hand. I shook it.**

"What?!" both Rose and Lissa screamed. I could see that Sonya wanted to scream that to but she remained calm for the moment, atleast she tried to.

"Jupp. We shock eachothers hands" I said and laughed, they looked so shocked right now, their moths wide open but their soon closed their mouths. Shaking their heads at me as if they though I was crazy but I think a part of them thought I was crazy, for shaking hand instead of kissing.

**Then I left the car and went inside.**

**I shook his hand? I replayed the moment in my head, feeling dumber and dumber. What is wrong with me?**

"It was dumb. You should have kiss but someone it was weird but maybe cute" Sonya said because Rose and Lissa didnt comment, they still looked kind of shocked and I smiled a little to Sonya as if to say a small little thank.

**As I walked through the lobby, kind of dazed, I took out my cell phone to see if I had any messages. I'd turned it off tonight, figuring if ever there was a time I'd earned peace, this was it. To my astonishment, no one had needed anything in my absence, though there was one text message from Jill, sent about fifteen minutes ago: How was your date with Brandon?**

"Sorry for misspelling his name" Jill said and I smiled just a little to her. "It's ok Jill" I told her.

**What's he like?**

"He's just like you" Rose said, shuddered and put her arms around Dimitri's waist.

**I unlocked my dorm door and stepped inside. His name is Brayden, I texted back. I pondered the rest of her question and took a long time in trying to decide how to respond.**

**He's just like me.**

"That was the end of the chapter" Dimitri said but then he looked at me. "Really? You just shook hands?"

I blushed because it was Dimitri that had said tht. I nodded weaklt and looked around on our little group.

"Who wants to read now?" Dimitri asked.

"I can" Lissa said and gently took the book away from Eddie.

**"CHAPTER 6**" she started to read.


End file.
